Gospel Doctrine

Gospel Doctrine

Sermons and Writings

President Joseph F. Smith

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BANCROFT
LIBRARY

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OF

THE UNIVERSITY

OF CALIFORNIA

Gift of
Mrs. Esther C. Thomson

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GOSPEL DOCTRINE

SELECTIONS FROM

THE SERMONS AND WRITINGS

OF

JOSEPH F. SMITH

Sixth President of the Church of Jesus Christ
of Latter-day Saints

THE DESERET NEWS

SALT LAKE CITY, UTAH

1919

Copyright, 1919, by

HEBER J. GRANT,

Trustee-in-Trust for the Church of Jesus

Christ of Latter-day Saints

All Rights Reserved

PREFACE

President Joseph F. Smith was so long in the public
service of the Church that his published sermons and writ-
ings would fill many volumes. The difficult problem of the
compilers of this volume has been to make a collection of
extracts. that would do full justice to the man and that, at
the same time, could be contained in a volume of 'moderate
size. Every reader who knows Church literature will note
the shortcomings of the work ; and none more than the com-
pilers. However, incomplete as it may be, this collection is
well worth while, for it contains a wealth of gospel wisdom,
tc instruct, comfort, and inspire the Saints.

The literature of the Church has been carefully and
systematically searched to discover all of President Smith's
public writings and sermons. Those of a historical nature
have not been used in this collection, as they may well be
made into another volume.

The compilers give their thanks to the many who, with
hearts full of love for President Smith, have helped in the
work.

The work has reaffirmed to us that prophets, speaking
for God, are with us.

The Compilers.

INTRODUCTION

President Joseph F. Smith incidentally stated on one
occasion that when he should pass away, unlike many of his
brethren, he would leave no written work, by which he
might be remembered. It was his modest way of viewing
his own ministry and literary labors, for President Smith
would live in the hearts of the people even if he had said
nothing for the printed page; but on the contrary, it was
discovered that there are volumes" in print, though at that
time it had not been gathered and was therefore not so
well known.

One of the compilers of this volume, Dr. John A.
Widtsoe, listening to his remark, thought to himself, "cer-
tainly it cannot be true that he has left no written work/'
He then decided to look into his published writings and ser-
mons, conceived the idea of making extracts from them and
arranging these extracts by subjects and in chapters, in the
form of a book. The result is this splendid volume now
presented to the public under the title Gospel Doctrine.

Doctor John A. Widtsoe interested his brother, Prof.
Osborne J. P. Widtsoe, also Albert E. Bowen, Doctor F. S.
Harris, and Joseph Quinney, in the work of compiling and
classifying, from the voluminous writings and sermons of
President Smith, such extracts as would bear upon the sub-
jects chosen for consideration — subjects covering a wide
range in gospel doctrine and philosophy, as taught by the
Latter-day Saints. Lorenzo N. Stohl geneiously paid the
expenses of the work.

Without price, and as a matter of love for the work in
hand, these brethren proceeded with the compilation, had
fcur typewritten copies prepared, nicely bound and titled,
and were privileged, sometime before the death of the Pres-

vi INTRODUCTION

ident, to offer him the first typewritten copy of the work,
with their love and gratitude for his life, his example, and
his inspired teachings, as well as for his gentle kindness and
constant helpfulness to each of them.

Needless to say, the presentation and the w T ork were
gladly accepted and gave President Smith great delight.

The Committee on Study for the Priesthood Quorums,
being apprised by the compilers of the work, conceived the
idea, under the initiative of Elder David O. McKay of the
Council of the Twelve, of making it a text book for the
Priesthood. The volume is now presented to the Melchiz-
edek Priesthood Quorums of the Church for their study and
consideration. To accompany it is "A Guide 1 ' for the direc-
tion of teachers and students, and adopted for convenience in
reference and study.

The sermons and writings of President Joseph F. Smith
teach, in wisdom and moderation, practically every essential
doctrine of the Latter-day Saints concerning the present life
and the life hereafter. Not only that, but they abound in
helpful counsel and advice on everyday practices in right
living, stated in simple and persuasive language. President
Smith's sermons and writings breathe the true spirit of the
Gospel, are sound as gold in tenet and precept, and express
the will of the Master in every word. Gathered, classified,
arranged, and printed as in this volume, they constitute a
compendium of the doctrine and teachings of the Church
that we believe will stand as a safe guide for its members for
generations to come.

In presenting this compilation to the public, we are con-
fident that every reader will be fully repaid in its perusal,
containing, as it does, rich and vital selections from the say-
ings, teachings and sermons of one of the foremost prophets
of the Lord in the Dispensation of the Fulness of Times.

Committee on Courses of Study for the Priesthood.
Salt Lake City, May, 1919.

CONTENTS

CHAPTER I

Truth, the Foundation

Our Hope Founded on Truth — The Gospel Founded in
Truth — Truth, the Foundation — Man Saved by Truth —
Gospel Truth Cannot be Superseded — Man's Greatest
Achievement — Truth and Righteousness Will Prevail —
Reality of the Faith of the Saints — Meaning of Science —
All Truth From God— The Saints May Know the Truth
— How Truth May be Known — How Man Lays an Im-
perishable Foundation of Truth — Reward of All Honest
People — The Gospel is Simple — Our Knowledge is Lim-
ited — Blessings for the Love of Truth 1

CHAPTER II

The Eternal Nature of the Church, the Priesthood, and Man

Eternal Nature of Plan of Salvation — Gospel Principles are
Eternal — Pre-existing States — Spirit Memories — The Im-
mortality of Man — Man Eternally Responsible — Our Inde-
structible, Immortal Identity — No New Principles in the
Gospel — Fountain of Truth — Eternity of the Spirit of man
— Purposes of Almighty Unchangeable 13

CHAPTER III

Kevelation

Value of the Spirit of Revelation— The Spirit of Inspiration
— The Spirit of Revelation Enjoyed by All — New Revela-
tion — When to Expect New Revelation — How the Lord
Reveals His Purposes Concerning the Church — Modern
Revelation is Necessary — Theory and Divine Revelation
— Revelation and Legal Evidence — Proper Channels for
Revelation — The Doctrine and Covenants — How to Read
the Eible — Persecution Follows Revelation 42

CHAPTER IV

Free Agency

The Latter-day Saints a Free People — The Use of Freedom
and Human Judgment — Latter-day Saints Should Exercise
Free Agency — How to Obtain Blessings of God 58

CHAPTER V
God and Man

God has Directed His Latter-day Work — A Personal Knowl-
edge of God — God Speaks to the Honest in Heart — God

viii CONTENTS

Constantly Mindful of us — God's Will to Exalt Man —
God's Right to Rule in the World — The Lesson in Natural
Calamities — Extent of God's Power — Beware of Limiting
God — Misfortune and Evil Not Attributable to the Will of
God — God's Warfare — We are in God's Image — God's
Rest — Importance of Being Under the Influence of the
Holy Spirit — Holy Ghost, Holy Spirit, Comforter — God
Inspires Man to Know and to Do — Trust in God— I Know
that My Redeemer Lives — Our Personal Responsibility
— The Church a Democratic Institution — How to Secure
God's blessings — Jesus is the Son — Jehovah, the First-
born — Nothing Temporal with God — The Important Con-
sideration 64

CHAPTER VI

The Purpose and the Mission of the Church

The Kingdom of God Defined — "Mormonism" Defined — The
Mission of the Church — The Plan of Life Restored — Our
Mission is to Save — The Gospel Message — We are as
Leaven — Man Insignificant Compared to Cause — Where the
Gospel Spirit Leads — The Fruits of True Religion — Lat-
ter-day Saints Possess the Spirit of Salvation — May Israel
Flourish— The Work of the Lord Will Grow— The King-
dom of God to Continue — Zion Established to Remain —
The Progress of God's Work Cannot be Stopped — Divin-
ity of the Gospel — The Gospel All Comprehensive — Let
Your Light Shine — No Cause for Worry — The Gospel a
Shield from Terror — The Gospel Trumpet — What Church
Leaders Advocate — Our Message one of Love — Whence?
Whither? — Latter-day Saints are Law- Abiding 87

CHAPTER VII

The First Principles of the Gospel

How the Sinner May be Cleansed — Fallacy of Death-Bed
Repentance — The Change that Comes with Repentance
and Baptism — The Necessity of Baptism — When to Bap-
tize Children — Through Atonement Sins are Washed away
— Conditions for Baptism — The First Principles of the
Gospel 116

CHAPTER VIII

The Church and the Man

The Church in Advance of Its Members — The Gospel the
Most Important Thing — Personal Advancement is Help to
the Church — Covenants of the Latter-day Saints — A Priv-
ilege to be Associated with the Church — Worth of a
Standing in the Church — Importance of Having Names on
Church Records — Secret Organizations — Secret Societies
—Gossip— We Want to be Known as We are— Treatment

CONTENTS ix

of Those Who Will Not Obey the Law of the Church —
Latter-day Saints Must be Thinkers and Workers — The
Identity of the Church Unchanged — No Classes or Nation-
alities in the Church — No Neutrals in the Church — Don't
Have Religious Hobbies — Wealth Does Not Bring Church
Favors — The Gospel Causes Disturbance — "Having Done
All, Stand" — Not Naturally Religious — Strive to be as
Broad as the Gospel — Search and Ye shall Find — The
Spirit of Religion — The Meaning of Success — What is to
Become of Such as Me? — Rest for the Peaceable Followers
of Christ — -Harmony — Character, Mettle, and Mission of
the Latter-day Saints 13*

CHAPTER IX
Priesthood

God is at the Helm — Distinction Between Keys of the
Priesthood and Priesthood — Conferring the Priesthood —
An Authoritative Declaration — The Church Not Man-
made — What is the Priesthood? — The Priesthood — Defini-

' tion, Purpose and Power — Mission of the Priesthood —
What are the Keys of the Priesthood? — Sanctity of the
Ordinances of the Priesthood — On Church Government —
A Blessing and an Explanation of the Priesthood — The
Privilege of the Priesthood to Bless — The Priesthood
Greater than Any of its Offices — Necessity of Organiza-
tion — Acceptance of the Priesthood a Serious matter-
How Authority Should be Administered — Authority Gives
Enduring Power — Ministry Should Know its Duties and
the Use of Authority — How Officers in the Church are
Chosen — A Word to Bishops — Jurisdiction of Quorums of
Priesthood — Jurisdiction in Stakes and Wards — Duties of
Those Engaged in the Ministry — The Purpose and the
Duty of the Church: Qualities of Leaders — Leaders Must
be Courageous — Duties of Officers of the Church — Truth
Will Unite Us — Words to Church Officers—Officers to
Set the Example — Duty of the Holy Priesthood — How to
Vote on Church Propositions — Order of Voting for Of-
ficers of the Church — Officers Dependent on Voice of
People — Nearly All Male Members Hold the Priesthood;
Responsibility — Many hold the Melchizedek Priesthood —
Priesthood Quorums* Responsibilities — What is Priest-
hood? — Where and How Counsel Should be Sought —
Parents Should be Consulted — Proper use of Titles of the
Preisthood — -All Officers of the Priesthood Necessary and
Should be Respected — Checks Upon Church Members —
The Priesthood Should Know Section 107 of the Doctrine
and Covenants — Who is Fit to Preside? — Obligations of
the Priesthood — How Honor for Those Who Bear the
Priesthood is Begotten — Priesthood Membership Rolls —
All Should Exercise Their Authority — The Leaders in
Israel — -A Testimony of Joseph Smith and His Successors

x CONTENTS

—Goodness of the Leaders of the Church— Divine Mis-
sions of Presidents of the Church— The Presidents of the
Church Have Been Inspired — When to Organize the First
Presidency — First Presidency Not Necessarily Apostles —
The Priesthood and Its Offices — Authority of the Presi-
dent of the Church — Relation of Members of First Presi-
dency — Duties of Apostles — Testimony of the Apostles —
The Presiding Bishopric — When to Submit Questions to
the General Authorities — No Need to Point Out Defects
of Church Leaders — Help the General Authorities — Tem-
poral Support of General Authorities — A Blessing Upon
Stake Presidencies and Other Officers — Counsel to Stake
Presidents and Bishops — Duties of Stake Presidents —
Duty of High Councils — Duties of Patriarchs — Duties of
High Priests — Duties of High Priests' Quorums — Duty of
High Priests — Purpose and Duties of Seventies — Duty of
Seventies — Duties of Seventies — Seventies' Quorums to be
Replenished from Elders' Quorums — Elders to Proclaim
Gospel — Duties of Elders — Authority of the Bishops and
Other Presiding Officers — Duties of Bishops — Bishops and
Lesser Priesthood Should be Active — Duties of the Lesser
Priesthood — Lesser Priesthood — The Work of the Bish-
opric — Dignity of Teachers' Calling — Value of Teachers'
Work — The Restoration of the Melchizedek Priesthood —
Tribute to Heber C. Kimball — Tribute to Erastus Snow
— Purpose of Visits of Church Leaders 168

CHAPTER X

Spiritual Gifts

The Gift of Tongues — The Sacrament of the Lord's Supper
— Order of Administering to the Sick — The Use of a
Testimony- 1 — Purpose and Practice of Testimony Bearing
— The Temporal and the Spiritual Not Separate — Spiritual
and Temporal Salvation — The Gospel Designed for Tem-
poral Benefits, Also — The Spirit Needs Food 251

CHAPTER XI

Obedience

Obedience an Eternal Principle — How to Rise Above the
Weakness of Mortality — Obedience to Church Ordinances
Indispensable — Obedience Brings Light and Freedom —
Blessings from Obedience 263

CHAPTER XII
Prayer
Pray Every Day — Pray In Wisdom — Keep the Spirit of
Prayer — True Prayer — How to Pray — An Address on
Prayer — Practical Prayer and Healing — Pray for the Au-
thorities — Blessings Follow Prayers — Correct Our Neg-
lects 273

CONTENTS xi

CHAPTER XIII

Tithing; the Poor; Industry

Why the Law of Tithing was Instituted — -Essential Nature
of the Law of Tithing— The Law of Tithing a Test— The
Law of Tithing, the Law of Revenue — Tithing — The
Widow and Her Tithing — The Widow and Tithing —
Who Receive Church Help Should be Tithe Payers — Use
of Tithing — Commercialism and Tithing — Tithing Used
Carefully and Full Accounts Kept — Books Open to Tithe-
Payers — We Should Sympathize with the Unfortunate —
Charity to be Accepted Only When Necessary — Cease to
Waste Time; Cease to be Idle — Gospel Blessings Ob-
tained by Labor — Idlers Have No Place in Zion — A Mes-
sage of the Latter-day Saints on Behalf of the Poor 282

CHAPTER XIV
Temperance; the Sabbath

Man Should Be Master of His Appetites — Moderation —
Temperance — How to Teach Temperance — Use of To-
bacco and Strong Drinks — Do Not Smoke — -The Saloon —
Defeat the Liquor Interests — Vitality and Patent Med-
icines — Stamp Out Profanity and Vulgarity — Saturday's
Work; — Purpose of the Sabbath — The Meaning of Sunday
— W^hat Shall We Do on the Sabbath Day? — Necessity of
Sunday Worship — Be Wise in All You Do — The Nature
and Purpose of Fasting — Keeping the Sabbath Holy — -
Do Not Rob the Sabbath Day— Man Must Be Master of
Himself 300

CHAPTER XV
Many Duties of Man

The Object of Man's Existence — We Deal with the Lord —
Necessity for All to Accomplish their Missions — God
Honors Those Who Honor Him — Qualifications of Lat-
ter-day Saints — Perfection in Our Sphere — Let Every Man
Live to Bear Closest Inspection — Need of Individual Re-
sponsibility — Conquer Ourselves First — Let Us Conquer
Ourselves — Charity the Greatest Principle — Look for
Good; Not for Evil — Estimate Men by their Noble Deeds
— Let Us Sustain One Another — Do Not Bear Malice
Against One Another — Honor Yourselves and Your
Neighbors — Avoid Courts — Let Us Live Our Religion —
Let Us Be True to the Faith — Church Duties are Para-
mount — We Should Study the Gospel — Encourage Sing-
ing — Cultivate Singing — Be Free From Debt — What the
Lord Requires of His Saints — Cultivate Gratitude — Back-
biting — Do Not Inflict Wounds, But Heal Wounds — Use
Good Language — Do Not Destroy Life Wantonly — Com-

xii CONTENTS

mencement Address — Our Main Purpose of Life — How to
Love Your Neighbor — Question of Church Leaders — The
Sin of Ingratitude 312

CHAPTER XVI

Marriage, the Home and the Family

Necessity of Marriage — Marriage, God-Ordained and Sanc-
tioned — Righteousness and Necessity of Marriage — Male
and Female Enter Heaven — Marriage to Replenish the
Earth — Eternal Marriage — Eternity of the Family Organi-
zation — Importance of Marriage Within the Church — No
Marriage in Heaven — Plural Marriage Forbidden —
Further Statement — Marriage and Large Families Desir-
able — Be True to Your Wives and Children — Respect the
Rights of Others — Mutual Treatment of Husband, Wife
and Children— We Should Be Examples to Our Families
— The Truest Greatness — Parents Responsible for their
Children — The Father, the Presiding Authority of the
Family — Duties of Fathers — Motherhood the Foundation
of Home and Nation — Husband's Success Dependent
Upon Wife's Fitness — Duty of Parents — Watch Your
Children — Duty to Teach Children — What to Teach Your
Children — What Children Should Be Taught — Training of
Children at Home and in Sunday School — Teach Children
the Gospel — Teach Children the Story of Jesus' Death —
Wise Giving to Children — Do Not Place Children Under
Pledges — Children Have Equal Rights with Elders in the
House of the Lord — Don't Mortgage Your Houses — No
Substitute for the Home — Worship in the Home — The
Basis of a True Home — The Ideal Home — Foundation of
All Good in Home — Secure Homes — Own Your Homes —
Do Not Mortgage Your Homes — Evils of Mortgaging—
Our First Duty to Our Household — Unchastity, a Dom-
inant Evil — Degrees of Sexual Sin — Purity — Three Threat-
ening Dangers — The Gospel the Greatest Thing — Duty of
Husband to Wife — Wives and Husbands in Eternity — Im-
portance of Filial Affection — Family Government by Love
—The Home and the Child 341

CHAPTER XVII

Amusements and Fashions

Youth Should Look Forward — Proper Amusements — Proper
Character of Amusements — Social Duties — The Danger of
Pleasure Hunting — Harmful Effects of Bad Books —
Proper Reading — Raffling and Gambling — Games of
Chance — The Evil of -Cards — Wasting Time with Cards —
Card Playing — Stop Card Playing — Pernicious Nature of
Card Playing — Cards in the Home — Evil Fashions — Im-
proper Fashions— Exclusive Clubs Among Church Mem-
bers — A Lesson for the Boys 400

CONTENTS xiii

CHAPTER XVIII

Love Your Enemies

We Are Not Discouraged — I Forgive All Men — We Leave
Our Enemies in God's Hands — Leave Results in God's
Hands — Our Debt to Our Enemies — A Prayer for Our En-
emies—The Golden Rule — Why the World Does Not Love
Us — Love One Another — Keep Aloof from the Wicked —
The Enemies to Fear 421

CHAPTER XIX

Education and Industrial Pursuits

We Are Ever Learning — Address on Ignorance — The Value
of Practical Education — Practical Education Advocated —
Boys Should Be Taught the Arts of Industry — Manual
Training and Agriculture — Agriculture and Mechanic Arts
in Church Schools — We Should Study Agriculture — Dig-
nity of Agriculture — Encourage Forestry — Young Women
Should Have Practical Preparation for Life — Object of
Church Schools — Value of Church Schools — Purpose of
Church Schools — The Church Ample for All Necessary
Organizations — Develop Faculties in Church Organiza-
tions — The Foundation of Prosperity— The Object of Co-
operation 427

CHAPTER XX

Missionaries

How Missionaries Are Called — Requirements of Prospective
Missionaries — The Kind of Men Wanted for Missionaries
— Necessary Qualifications of Missionaries — Further Qual-
ifications of Missionaries — What Missionaries Should
Teach — What and How to Teach — Not All Men Ready to
Accept the Gospel — Our People Generous to Missionaries
— Advice to Missionaries — Missionaries and the Word of
Wisdom — Caution to Missionaries — Health of Missionaries
To Be Guarded — Missionaries In 111 Health — Care of Re-
turned Missionaries — Work for Returned Missionaries —
Duty of a Person Called on a Mission 444

CHAPTER XXI
False Teachings
The Devil's Knowledge — The Enemy of Truth Always Ar-
rayed Against This Work — Why the Truth is Hated —
Only Those Who Deny the Faith Contend — Beware of
False Teachers — Where to Expect False Doctrines —
Knowledge of Sin Unnecessary — Retreat from Evil — The
Law of Recompense — Sympathy with Criminals — The
Crime of Witchcraft and Other Superstitions — Supersti-
tious Practices — The Messiah Craze — One Mighty and
Strong 464

xiv CONTENTS

CHAPTER XXII

Auxiliary Organizations

Definition of Auxiliary Organizations — Place of Auxiliary
Organizations in the Church — delation Between Author-
ities of Ward and Auxiliary Organizations — Purpose and
Duties of Relief Society — Objects of the Relief Society —
Duties and Purpose of the Relief Society — The Relief So-
ciety — Object of Sunday Schools and Church Schools —
The Teacher Essential in Sunday School Work — The First
Qualification of a Sunday School Teacher — The Principle
of Sabbath School Teaching — The Stake Sunday School
Board— The Importance of M. I. A. Work— The Field of
the Young Men's Mutual Improvement Associations —
Purpose of Mutual Improvement Associations — The Foun-
tain of Truth — Purpose and Duties of Religion Classes —
Teachers Must Believe in Jesus Christ 479

CHAPTER XXIII

Political Government

The Ten Comandments — The Laws of God and the Laws of
the Land — No Nationalities in the Church — The Latter-
day Saints Loyal to the United States — Loyalty to the
Constitution of the United States — Proud of the United
States — Origin and Destiny of the United States: Loyalty
of the Latter-day Saints — Saints to Serve God — -Guided by
God to the West — True Patriotism — Importance of Na-
tional Patriotism — The Church Not Partisan — The Church
Loyal — Latter-day Saints Are Good Citizens — Church Not
Responsible for Political Parties— The Church Not In Pol-
itics — Shun the Spirit of Mob Violence — The Danger of
Mobs — The Basis of Labor Unions — -Cause of War — Atti-
tude Towards War — We Want Peace — When Peace Shall
Come— Peace on Earth, Good Will to Men— The Key to
Peace — God Strives with Warring Nations — Conduct of
the Boys in the Army— Message to the Boys in War
Service 503

CHAPTER XXIV

Eternal Life and Salvation

Eternal Life and Salvation— Close Relation of the Next Life
— Condition in a Future Life — Spiritual Death — The Un-
pardonable Sin— The Resurrection— Nature of Ministering
Angels^Redemption Beyond the Grave — Nature of Death
—The Resurrection — On the Resurrection — Resurrection
and Final Judgment — Condition of Children in Heaven —
Status of Children in the Resurrection — Address at
Funeral Services of Mary A. Freeze— The Resurrection-
Work for the Dead— Temple Ordinances Unchanged-
Care and Need of Temples — Preaching the Gospel in the

CONTENTS xv

Spirit World — Vision of the Redemption of the Dead —
Moderation in Burial Displays — Who Cannot be Reached
by the Gospel — Principle of Baptism for the Dead 538

CHAPTER XXV

Joseph Smith, the Prophet

The Reality of Joseph's Vision — Joseph Smith's Name Will
Never Perish — The Prophet Joseph Smith — Prediction of
Joseph Smith Fulfilled — Joseph Smith the Boy — Joseph
Smith a Restorer — Plural Wives of Joseph Smith, the
Prophet — What Does the Martyrdom of Joseph and
Hyrum Teach Us — Divine Authority of Joseph Smith and
His Sucessors — God's Guiding Hand Seen in Church
History 604

CHAPTER XXVI

Personal Testimonies and Blessings

A Testimony — This is God's Work, a Testimony — A Testi-
mony — The Pledge of My Life — A Blessing — A Testimony
— I Know that My Redeemer Lives — Testimony 635

President T oseph F. Smith

An Appreciation — Reminiscences — A Biographical Sketch —
Last of the Old School of Veteran Leaders 644

GOSPEL DOCTRINE

CHAPTER I

Truth, the Foundation

Our Hope Founded on Truth. Our hope of salva-
tion must be founded upon the truth, the whole truth, and
nothing but the truth, for we cannot build upon error and
ascend into the courts of eternal truth and enjoy the glory
and exaltation of the kingdom of our God. That cannot be
done.— Oct. C. R.* 1917, p. 3.

The Gospel Founded in Truth. I have no fears in
my heart, or mind, that that which is called "Mormonism" —
which is indeed the gospel of Jesus Christ — will not bear
the scrutiny of science and the researches of the learned
and literate into all truth. The gospel of Jesus is founded
in truth. Every principle of it is susceptible of demonstra-
tion beyond any just reason for contradiction. The Lord
is doing his work and will do it, and no power can stay it.
— Oct. C. R., 1908, p. 127.

Truth, the Foundation. We believe in righteous-
ness. We believe in all truth, no matter to what subject it
may refer. No sect or religious denomination in the world
possesses a single principle of truth that we do not accept
or that we will reject. We are willing to receive all truth,
from whatever source it may come; for truth will stand,
truth will endure. No man's faith, *no man's religion, no
religious organization in all the world, can ever rise above
the truth. The truth must be at the foundation of religion,
or it is in vain and it will fail of its purpose. I say that the
truth is at the foundation, at the bottom and top of, and it

^October Conference Report.
2

2 GOSPEL DOCTRINE

entirely permeates this great work of the Lord that was es-
tablished through the instrumentality of Joseph Smith, the
prophet. God is with it; it is his work, not that of man;
and it will succeed no matter what the opposition may be.
We look now at the opposition arrayed against the Church
of Jesus Christ of Latter-day Saints, and smile, so to speak,
with feelings of confidence, doubly assured by the experi-
ence of the past, in comparison to the feelings that pos-
sessed the souls of our fathers and mothers in the early days
of the Church, when they were but a handful, with all the
world arrayed against them ; just a few poor, homeless peo-
ple, driven from their possessions, cast out from the commu-
nities in which they sought to establish themselves and build
their homes. When I think of our people, thrust into the
wilderness, wandering and seeking for a place where the
soles of their feet might rest, and see, then, the world
arrayed against them, and think of the little chance that
appeared before them, for success and the accomplishment
of their purposes, I wonder that more of them did not trem-
ble and falter than did ; but some of them were true in the
midst of it all, even unto death. If it had been necessary
for them to have been martyred for the truth, willingly would
they have given their lives, as they gave all else that they
possessed in the world, for the knowledge they had of the
divinity of the work in which they were engaged. Are we
as faithful today? Are we as devout as our fathers were?
Oh, my God, help me to be as true as they were ! Help me
to stand as they stood, upon the pedestal of eternal truth,
that no power on earth, or in hell, may remove me from that
foundation. This is *my prayer to the Lord for my own
sake, and it is my prayer to him for every Latter-day
Saint throughout the length and breadth of the world. —
Apr. C. R.* 1909, p. 7.

Man Saved by Truth. We, have no ill feelings in our

*April Conference Report.

TRUTH, THE FOUNDATION 3

hearts toward any living creature. We forgive those who
trespass against us. Those who have spoken evil of us, and
who have misrepresented us before the world, we have no
malice in our hearts towards them. We say, let God judge
between them and us; let him recompense them for their
work. We will not raise a hand against them ; but we will
extend the hand of fellowship and friendship to them, if
they will repent of their sins and come unto the Lord and
live. No matter how malicious they may have been, or how
foolish they may have acted, if they will repent of it we
will receive them with open arms and we will do all we can
to help them to save themselves. I cannot save you; you
cannot save me; we cannot save each other, only so far as
we can persuade each other to receive the truth, by teach-
ing it. When a man receives the truth he will be saved by
it. He will not be saved merely because some one talks to
him, but because he received and acted upon it. The gospel
is consistent, it is common sense, reason, revelation ; it is
almighty truth from the heavens made known to man. —
Apr. C. R., 1902, p. 86.

Gospel Truth Can Not Be Superseded. There is
no science, nor philosophy, that can supersede God Al-
mighty's truth. The Lord has said, "My word is truth,"
and indeed it is; and I believe that the Latter-day Saints
know enough about the word of God to know it is his word
when they see it and shun whatever is not; and that they
will abide by the word of God, for it is truth. As the Savior
said, "If ye continue in my word, then are ye my disci-
ples indeed; ye shall know the. truth, and the truth shall
make you free." I believe that the Latter-day Saints, and
especially the leading men in Israel, have sufficient knowl-
edge and understanding of the principles of the gospel that
they know the truth, and they are made free by its pos-
session — free from sin, free from error, free from darkness,
from the traditions of men, from vain philosophy, and from

4 GOSPEL DOCTRINE

the untried, unproven theories of scientists, that need dem-
onstration beyond the possibility of a doubt. We have had
science and philosophy through all the ages, and they have
undergone change after change. Scarcely a century has
passed but they have introduced new theories of science and
of philosophy that supersede the old traditions and the old
faith and the old doctrines entertained by philosophers and
scientists. These things may undergo continuous changes,
but the word of God is always true, is always right. I want
to say to you that the principles of the gospel are always
true — the principles of faith in God, of repentance from sin,
of baptism for the remission of sins by authority of God, and
the laying on of hands for the gift of the Holy Ghost;
these principles are always true and are always absolutely
necessary for the salvation of the children of men, no matter
who they are or where they are. These principles are al-
ways true, and you cannot get away from them. No other
name, under heaven, is given, but that of Jesus Christ, by
which you can be saved or exalted in the Kingdom of God.
No man can enter into the kingdom of heaven except he be
born again of the water and of the Spirit. These principles
are indispensable, for God has declared them. Not only has
Christ declared them by his own voice, and his disciples from
generation to generation, in the olden time, but in these lat-
ter days, they have taken up the same testimony and declared
these things to the world. They* are true today as they were
true then, and we must obey these things. — Apr. C. R., 1911,
pp. 7, 8.

Man's Greatest Achievement. The greatest achieve-
ment mankind can make in this world is to familiarize them-
selves with divine truth, so thoroughly, so perfectly, that
the example or conduct of no creature living in the world
can ever turn them away from the knowledge that they have
obtained. "In. the footsteps of the Master," the greatest of
all the teachers that this world has ever received, is the

TRUTH, THE FOUNDATION 5

safest and the surest course to pursue that I know of in the
world. We can absorb, the precepts, the doctrines and the
divine word of the Master, without any fear that the exem-
plar will fail of carrying out and executing his own pre-
cepts and fulfiling his own doctrines and requirements.

From my boyhood I have desired to learn the princi-
ples of the gospel in such a way and to such an extent that
it would matter not to me who might fall from the truth,
who might make a mistake, who might fail to continue to
follow the example of the Master, my foundation would be
sure and certain in the truths that I have learned, though
all men else go astray and fail ,of obedience to them. We
all have heard of people who have pinned their faith to the
arm of flesh, who have felt that their belief, their confidence
and their love for the principles of the the gospel of Jesus
Christ would be shattered, if their ideals— those possibly who
first taught them the principles of the gospel — should make
a mistake, falter or fall.

I know of but One in all the world who can be taken
as the first and only perfect standard for us to follow, and
he is the Only Begotten Son of God. I would feel sorry
indeed, if I had a friend or an associate in this life who
would turn away from the plan of life and salvation because
I might stumble or make a failure of my life. I want no man
to lean upon me nor to follow me, only so far as I am a con-
sistent follower in the footsteps of the Master. — Juvenile
Instructor, 1915, Vol. 50, pp. 738, 739.

Truth and Righteousness Will Prevail. I do not
expect any victory, any triumph, anything to boast of, to
come to the Latter-day Saints, except upon the principles of
righteousness and of truth. Truth and righteousness will
prevail and endure. If we will only continue to build upon
the principles of righteousness, of truth, of justice, and of
honor, I say to you there is no power beneath the celestial
kingdom that can stay the progress of this work. And as

6 GOSPEL DOCTRINE

this work shall progress, and shall gain power and influence
among men, so the powers of the adversary and of darkness
will diminish before the advancement and growth of this
kingdom, until the kingdom of God, and not of men, will
triumph.— Apr. C. R., 1914, p. 4.

Reality of the Faith of the Saints. There is no
doubt in the minds of Latter-day Saints in relation to the
existence and personage of the Lord God Almighty, who is
the Father of our Lord and Savior Jesus Christ. There is
no doubt in the minds of Latter-day Saints that Jesus is the
Son of God, being begotten of the Father in the flesh. And
there is no Latter-day Saint in all the world but knows as
truly and as fully as God can impart that knowledge to the
soul of man, that he shall live again after death, and that
men and women shall be associated together as - God has
ordained, and they have been united by his power, to dwell
together forever and forever; and they shall know as they
are known, they shall see as they are seen, and they shall
understand as God understands ; for they are his children. —
Apr. C. R., 1907, p. 39.

Meaning of Science. True science is that system of
reasoning which brings to the fore the simple, plain truth.
The Savior of the world was pre-eminently the Scientist of
this earth, and the truths he uttered 1900 years ago have
withstood the assaults of science and prejudice and hate. —
Logan Journal, Logan, February 6, 1912.

All Truth from God. Let us sustain the cause of
Zion. Let no man speak lightly of the principles of the
gospel. Let no one treat lightly the ordinances of the house
of God. Let no one hold in derision the Priesthood that
the Lord has restored to the earth, which is the authority
that he has given unto men. Let no man look contemptu-
ously upon the organization of the Church of Jesus Christ
of Latter-day Saints as it has been established in the earth
through the instrumentality of the Prophet Joseph Smith,

TRUTH, THE FOUNDATION 7

whom the Lord raised up when he was but a child to lay
the foundation of the same. Let no man treat these things
lightly or doubtingly; but let every man seek earnestly to
understand the truth and teach his children to become famil-
iar with those truths of heaven that have been restored to
the earth in the latter days. I believe with all my soul in
God the Father and our Lord and Savior Jesus Christ. I
believe with all my might, mind and strength in the Savior
of the world, and in the principle of redemption from death
and sin. I believe in the divine mission of the Prophet
Joseph Smith. I believe in all the truth that I know, and I
believe that there are many principles of eternal truth that
still lie hidden from me and from the understanding of men,
which will yet be revealed by the power of God unto his
faithful servants. I believe that the Lord has revealed to
the children of men all that they know. I do not believe
that any man has discovered any principle of science, or art ,
in mechanism, or mathematics, or anything else, that God
did not know before man did. Man is indebted to the Source
of all intelligence and truth, for the knowledge that he pos-
sesses; and all who will yield obedience to the promptings
of the Spirit, which lead to virtue, to honor, to the love
of God and man, and to the love of truth and that which is
ennobling and enlarging to the soul, will get a cleaner, a
more expansive, and a more direct and conclusive knowl-
edge of God's truths than anyone else can obtain. I tell you
this, because I know it is true. The Lord Almighty lives;
he made the heavens and the earth, and the fountains of
water ; and we are his children, his offspring, and we are
not here by chance. The Lord designed our coming, and
the object of our being. He designs that we shall accom-
plish our mission, to become conformed to the likeness and
image of Jesus Christ, that, like him, we may be without
sin unto salvation, like him we may be filled with pure
intelligence, and like him we may be exalted to the right

8 GOSPEL DOCTRINE

hand of the Father, to sit upon thrones and have dominion
and power in the sphere in which we shall be called to act.
I testify to this doctrine, for the Lord has made me to know
and feel the truth of it from the crown of my head to the
soles of my feet. I love good, honorable men — even men
who may be mistaken, as far as their judgment is concerned,
but who try to do right; I love them for the reason that
they are my brethren, the sons of my Father, and I would
that they might all see the truth as it is in Christ Jesus,
and accept it, and receive all the benefits of it, in time and
throughout all eternity. If the Lord, has revealed to the
world the plan *of salvation and redemption from sin, by
which men may be exalted again into his presence and par-
take of eternal life with him, I submit, as a proposition
that cannot be controverted, that no man can , be exalted
in the presence of God and attain to a fulness of glory
afd happiness in his kingdom and presence, save and except
he will obey the plan that God has devised and revealed. —
Apr. C. R., 1902, pp. 85, 86.

The Saints May Know the Truth. To the faith-
ful Latter-day Saint is given the right to know the truth,
as God knows it; and no power beneath the celestial king-
dom can lead him astray, darken his understanding, becloud
his mind, or dim his faith or his knowledge of the principles
of the gospel of Jesus Christ. It can't be done, for the
light of God shines brighter than the illumination of a false-
hood and error ; therefore, those who possess the light of
Christ, the spirit of revelation and the knowledge of God,
rise above all* these vagaries in the world ; they know of
this doctrine, that it is of God and not of man. — Oct. C. R. }
1909, p. 9.

How Truth May Be Known. It is a wicked and
adulterous generation that seeketh after a sign. Show me
Latter-day Saints who have to feed upon miracles, signs and
visions in order to keep them steadfast in the Church, and

TRUTH, THE FOUNDATION 9

I will show you members of the Church who are not in good
standing before God, and who are walking in slippery paths.
It is not by marvelous manifestations unto us that we shall
be established in the truth, but it is by humility and faithful
obedience to the commandments and laws of God. When
I as a boy first started out in the ministry, I would frequently
go out and ask the Lord to show me some marvelous thing,
in order that I might receive a testimony. But the Lord
withheld marvels from me, and showed me the truth, line
upon line, precept upon precept, here a little and there a
little, until he made me to know the truth from the crown
of my head to the soles of my feet, and until doubt and fear
had been absolutely purged from me. He did not have to
send an angel from 'the heavens to do this, nor did he
have to speak with the trump of an archangel. By the
whisperings of the still small voice of the Spirit of the living
God, he gave to me the testimony I possess. And by this
principle and power he will give to all the children of men
a knowledge of the truth that will stay with them, and it
will make them to know the truth, as God knows it, and to
do the will of the Father as Christ does it. And no amount
of marvelous manifestations will ever accomplish this. It
is obedience, humility, and submission to the requirements of
heaven and to the order established in the kingdom of God
upon the earth, that will establish men in the truth. Men
may receive the visitation of angels ; they may speak in
tongues ; they may heal the sick by the laying on of hands ;
they may have visions and dreams ; but except they are faith-
ful and pure in heart, they become an easy prey to the adver-
sary of their souls, and he will lead them into darkness and
unbelief more easily than others — Apr. C.R., 1900, pp. 40, 41.
How Man Lays an Imperishable Foundation of
Truth. But the men and the women who are honest before
God, who humbly plod along, doing their duty, paying their
tithing, and exercising that pure religion and undefiled before

10 GOSPEL DOCTRINE

God and the Father, which is to visit the fatherless and
the widows in their afflictions and to keep oneself unspotted
from the world, and who help look after the poor ; and who
honor the holy Priesthood, who do not run into excesses,
who are prayerful in their families, and who acknowledge
the Lord in their hearts, they will build up a foundation that
the gates of hell cannot prevail against; and if the floods
come and the storms beat upon their house, it shall not fall,
for it will be built upon the rock of eternal truth. I pray
that this vast congregation will build upon this imperishable
foundation, upon the principle expressed by the words of
Joshua, "as for me and my house, we will serve God," and
as also expressed by Job, "though he slay me, yet will I
trust in him." If you have that spirit toward" God and
his work in these latter days, you will build steadily and
slowly, it may be, but surely, upon a foundation that will
endure throughout the countless ages of eternity. And if
you do not get any great manifestations, you need not worry
about it. You will get the testimony of Jesus Christ in
your hearts, and you will know God and Jesus whom he has
sent, whom to know is life eternal, just as well as those who
receive visions. For those who do receive visions, the devil
will try to make them believe that they were delusions, and
if they commit sin, he will be sure to make them believe it.
God bless you, is my prayer. Amen. — Apr. C. R., 1900, p. 42.
Reward of All Honest People. In some instances
you will find examples of people out in the world who do
not know as much as you do of the gospel of Jesus Christ,
who have not the testimony of the Spirit in their hearts as
you have, of the divinity of Christ and of Joseph Smith,
who are just as devout, just as humble, just as contrite in
spirit, and as devoted to what they know, as some of us are,
and they will be rewarded according to their works, every
one of them, and will receive reward far surpassing anything
that they dream of.— Apr. C. R., 1912, p. 8.

TRUTH, THE FOUNDATION 11

The Gospel is Simple. Some subjects are in them-
selves, perhaps, perfectly harmless, and any amount of dis-
cussion over them would not be injurious to the faith of our
young people. We are told, for example, that the theory
of gravitation is at best a hypothesis, and that such is the
atomic theory. These theories help to explain certain things
about nature. Whether they are ultimately true can not
make much difference to the religious convictions of our
young people. On the other hand, there are speculations
which touch the origin of life and the relationship of God
to his children. In a very limited degree that relationship"
has been defined by revelation, and until we receive more
light upon the subject we deem it best to refrain from the
discussion of certain philosophical theories which rather de-
stroy than build up the faith of our young people. One thing
about this so-called philosophy of religion that is very unde-
sirable lies in the fact that as soon as we convert our re-
ligion into a system of philosophy, none but philosophers can
understand, appreciate, or enjoy it. God, in his revelation
to man, has made his word so simple that the humblest of
men, without especial training, may enjoy great faith, com-
prehend the teachings of the gospel, and enjoy undis-
turbed their religious convictions. For that reason we are
averse to the discussion of certain philosophical theories in
our religious instructions. — Juvenile Instructor, Vol. 46, pp.
208, 209, April, 1911.

Our Knowledge is Limited. Our methods in specu-
lation and reasoning about the things of God may often be
harmless; but if we depart from the simplicity of God's
word into a spirit of rationalism, we become the victims of
vanity which endangers the true spirit of worship in the
human heart. It is not easy for men to give up their van-
ities, to overcome their preconceived notions, and surrender
themselves heart and soul to the will of God which is always
higher than their own. The dangers of religious specula-

12 GOSPEL DOCTRINE

tions are as great today as they were in the days of Christ,
and if we would avoid these dangers we must adhere to the
simplicity of our religious belief and practices. When men
and women realize they are getting into deep water where
their footing is insecure, they should retreat; for they may
be sure that the course they have been taking will lead them
more and more away from their bearings which are not
always easy to regain. The religion of the heart, the unaf-
fected and simple communion which we should hold with
God, is the highest safeguard of the Latter-day Saints. It
is no discredit to our intelligence or to our integrity to say
frankly in the face of a hundred speculative questions, "I
do not know."

One thing is certain, and that is, God has revealed
enough to our understanding for our exaltation and for our
happiness. Let the Saints, then, utilize what they already
have; be simple and unaffected in their religion, both in
thought and word, and they will not easily lose their bear-
ings and be subjected to the vain philosophies of man. —
Juvenile Instructor, Vol 46, p. 269, May, 1911.

Blessings for the Love of Truth. If you love the
truth, if you have received the gospel in your hearts, and
love it, your intelligence will be added upon, your understand-
ing of truth will be expanded,become larger than in any other
way. Truth is the thing, above all other things in the world,
that makes men free — free from indolence and carelessness,
free from the fearful consequences of neglect, for it will be a
fearful consequence, if we neglect our duty before the living
God. If you will learn the truth and walk in the light of
truth you shall be made free from the errors of men and of
crafts; you will be above suspicion and above wrong-doing
of every description. God will approve of you and bless you
and your inheritances, and make you prosper and flourish
like a green bay tree. — Improvement Era, Vol. XXI, p. 102,
December, 1917.

CHAPTER II

The Eternal Nature of the Church, the
Priesthood, and Man

Eternal Nature of Plan of Salvation. I feel this
morning as I have felt all my life, but I feel it stronger this
morning, perhaps, than ever before, that there is nothing
under the heavens of so much importance to me or to the
children of men as the great plan of life and salvation,
which was devised in the heavens in the beginning, and
which has been handed down from period to period through
the inspiration of holy men called of God until the day of
the coming of the Son of Man, for this gospel and this plan
of salvation was revealed to our first parents. The angel of
God carried to them the plan of redemption, and of salva-
tion from death and sin that has been revealed from time to
time by divine authority to the children of men, and it has
undergone no change. There was nothing in it, in the be-
ginning, that was superfluous or unnecessary; nothing in
it that could be dispensed with; it was a complete plan de-
vised in the beginning by the wisdom of the Father and the
holy ones for the redemption of the human race and for
their salvation and exaltation in the presence of God. It was
taught more fully, and exemplified more perfectly in the
being, the life and mission, the instruction and doctrine, of
the Son of God, than ever before, unless there may be an
exception in the days of Enoch ; but through all the genera-
tions of time, the same gospel, the same plan of life and sal-
vation, the same ordinances, burial with Christ, remem-
brance of the great sacrifice to be offered for the sins of the
world and for man's redemption, have been handed down
from time to time, from the time of the creation. — Oct. C. R.,
1913, p. 2.

14 GOSPEL DOCTRINE

Gospel Principles are Eternal. Faith in God is
an irrevocable principle, just as much as "thou shalt not
kill;" "thou shalt not steal;" "thou shalt not commit adul-
tery." Repentance of a sin is an eternal principle, and is as
essential in" its place, and is as much an integral part of the
gospel of Jesus Christ as : "Thou shalt not kill," or, "Thou
shalt have no other gods before me."

Baptism for the remission of sin, by one having author-
ity, is an eternal principle, for God devised it, and com-
manded it, and Christ himself was not above obeying it ; he
had to obey it in order to fulfil the law of righteousness.

And then the rites of the Priesthood of the Church, as
the Lord has revealed them, and the principles that underlie
the organization of the Church of Jesus Christ, are irrev-
ocable, unchanging and unchangeable. We talk of the "ever-
lasting gospel of Jesus Christ," which "is the power of God
unto salvation," and these principles in and of themselves
are eternal principles, and will last while life, or thought,
or being lasts," or immortality endures. — Oct. C. R., 1912,
p. 11.

Pre-existing States.

Mrs. Martha H. Tingey,

President, Y. L. M. I. A.
Dear Sister: The First Presidency have nothing to
advance 'concerning pre-existing states but that which is
contained in the revelations to the Church. The written
standards of scripture show that all people who come to this
earth and are born in mortality had a pre-existent, spiritual
personality as the sons or daughters of the Eternal Father.
(See Pearl of Great Price, chap 3, verses 5-7). Jesus Christ
was the Firstborn. A spirit born of God "is an immortal be-
ing. When the body dies the spirit does not die. In the
resurrected state the body will be immortal as well as the
spirit. Speculations as to the career of Adam before he

CHURCH, PRIESTHOOD AND MAN 15

came to the earth are of no real value. We learn by reve-
lation that he was Michael, the Archangel, and that he
stands at the head of his posterity on earth {Doctrine and
Covenants, sec. 107:53-56). Dogmatic assertions do not
take the place of revelation, and we should be satisfied with
that which is accepted as doctrine, and not discuss matters
that, after all disputes, are merely matters of theory.

Your brethren,

Joseph F. Smith,
Anthon H. Lund,
Charles W. Penrose,

First Presidency.

— Young Woman's Journal, Vol. 23, pp 162, 163, 1912.

Spirit Memories. (Letter written to Elder O. F.
Whitney who was a missionary in England.) I heartily
endorse your sentiments respecting congeniality of spirits.
Our knowledge of persons and things before we came here,
combined with the divinity awakened within our souls
through obedience to the gospel, powerfully affects, in my
opinion, all our likes and dislikes, and guides our prefer-
ences in the course of this life, provided we give careful
heed to the admonitions of the Spirit.

All those salient truths which come home so forcibly to
the head and heart seem but the awakening of the mem-
ories of the spirit. Can we know anything here that we did
not know before we came? Are not the means ,of knowl-
edge in the first estate equal to those of this? I think that
the spirit, before and after this probation, possesses greater
facilities, aye, manifold greater, for the acquisition of knowl-
edge, than while manacled and shut up in the prison-house
of mortality.

Had we not known before we came the necessity of
our coming, the importance of obtaining tabernacles, the
glory to be achieved in posterity, the grand object to be at-

16 GOSPEL DOCTRINE

tained by being tried and tested — weighed in the balance, in
the exercise of the divine attributes, god-like powers and
free agency with which we are endowed; whereby, after
descending below all things, Christ-like, we might ascend
above all things, and become like our Father, Mother and
Elder Brother, Almighty and Eternal! — we never would
have come ; that is, if we could have stayed away.

I believe that our Savior is the ever-living example to
all flesh in all these things. He no doubt possessed a fore-
knowledge of all the vicissitudes through which he would
have to pass in the mortal tabernacle, when the foundations
of this earth were laid, "when the morning stars sang to-
gether, and all the sons of God shouted for joy." When he
conversed with the brother of Jared, on the Mount, in his
spiritual body, he understood his mission, and knew the
work he had to do, as thoroughly as when he ascended from
the Mount of Olives before the wondering gaze of the Jew-
ish disciples, with his resurrected, glorious and immortal
body.

And yet, to accomplish the ultimatum of his previous
existence, and consummate the grand and glorious object of
his being, and the salvation of his infinite brotherhood, he
had to come and take upon him flesh. He is our example.
The works he did, we are commanded to do. We are en-
joined to follow him, as he followed his Head ; that where he
is, we may be also ; and being with him, may be like him.
If Christ knew beforehand, so did we. But in coming here,
we forgot all, that our agency might be free indeed, to
choose good or evil, that we might merit the reward of our
own choice and conduct. But by the power of the Spirit,
in the redemption of Christ, through obedience, we often
catch a spark from the awakened memories of the immortal
soul, which lights up our whole being as with the glory of
our former home. — Contributor, Vol. 4, pp. 114, 115, 1883.

The Ijmmortality of Man. We are called mortal be-

CHURCH, PRIESTHOOD AND MAN 17

ings because in us are seeds of death, but in reality we are
immortal beings because there is also within us the germ
of eternal life. Man is a dual being, composed of the spirit
which gives life, force, intelligence and capacity to man, and
the body which is the tenement of the spirit and is suited to
its form, adapted to its necessities, and acts in harmony with
it, and to its utmost capacity yields obedience to the will of
the spirit. The two combined constitute the soul. The body is
dependent upon the spirit, and the spirit during its natural
occupancy of the body is subject to the laws which apply
to and govern it in the mortal state. In this natural body
are the seeds of weakness and decay, which, when fully
ripened or untimely plucked up, in the language of scrip-
ture, is called "the temporal death." The spirit is also sub-
ject to what is termed in the scriptures and revelations from
God, "spiritual death." The same as that which befell our
first parents, when, through disobedience and transgression,
they became subject to the will of Satan, and were thrust
out from the presence of the Lord and became spir-
itually dead, which the Lord says, "is the first death,
even that same death which is the last death,
which is spiritual, which shall be pronounced upon the*
wicked when I shall say, Depart, ye cursed !" And the Lord
further says, "But, behold I say unto you, that I the Lord
God gave unto Adam and unto his seed, that they should
not die as to the temporal death, until I the Lord God should
send forth angels to declare unto them repentance and re-
demption (from the first death), through faith on the name
of mine Only Begotten Son. And thus did I, the Lord God,
appoint unto man the days of his probation; that by his
natural death he might be raised in immortality unto
eternal life, even as many as would believe; and they that
believe not, unto eternal damnation, for they cannot be re-
deemed from their spiritual fall, because they repent not."
From the natural death, that is the death of the body, and

18 GOSPEL DOCTRINE

also from the first death, "which is spiritual," there is re-
demption through belief on the name of the Only Begotten
Son, in connection with repentance and obedience to the
ordinances of the gospel, declared by holy angels, for if one
"believe," he must also obey; but from the "second death,"
even that same death which is the first death, "which is
spiritual," and from which man may be redeemed through
faith and obedience, and which will again be pronounced
upon the wicked when God shall say, "depart, ye cursed,"
there is no redemption, so far as light on this matter has
been revealed.

It is written that "all manner of sin and blasphemy shall be
forgiven unto men" who receive me and repent ; "but the blas-
phemy against the Holy Ghost, it shall not be forgiven unto
men." If men will not repent and come unto Christ, through
the ordinances of his gospel, they cannot be redeemed from
their spiritual fall, but must remain forever subject to the will
of Satan and the consequent spiritual darkness or death unto
which our first parents fell, subjecting all their posterity
thereto, and from which none can be redeemed but by belief
or faith on the name of the Only Begotten Son and obe-
dience to the laws of God. But, thanks be to the eternal
Father, through the merciful provisions of the gospel, all
mankind will have the opportunity of escape, or deliverance,
from this spiritual death, either in time or in eternity, for
not until they are freed from the first can they become sub-
ject unto the second death, still if they repent not "they can-
not be redeemed from their spiritual fall," and will continue
subject to the will of Satan, the first spiritual death, so long
as "they repent not, and thereby reject Christ and his gos-
pel ;" but what of those who do believe, repent of their sins,
obey the gospel, enter into its covenants, receive the keys
of the priesthood and the knowledge of the truth by revela-
tion and the gift of the Holy Ghost, and afterwards turn
away wholly from that light and knowledge? They "become

CHURCH, PRIESTHOOD AND MAN 19

a law unto themselves," and "will to abide in sin ;" of such
it is written, "whoso breaketh this covenant, after he hath
received it, and altogether turneth therefrom, shall not have
forgiveness in this world nor in the world to come." And
again, "Thus saith the Lord, concerning all those who know
my power, and have been made partakers thereof, and
suffered themselves, through the power of the devil, to be
overcome, and to deny the truth and defy my power — they
are they who are the sons of perdition, of whom I say that
it had been better for them never to have been born, for
they are vessels of wrath, doomed to suffer the wrath of
God, with the devil and his angels in eternity; concerning
whom I have said there is no forgiveness in this world nor
in the world to come, having denied the Holy Spirit after
having received it, and having denied the Only Begotten Son
of the Father — having crucified him unto themselves, and put
him to an open shame." — Doc. and Cov. 76:31-35.

Now, there is a difference between this class and those
who simply repent not and reject the gospel in the flesh. Of
these latter it is written, "they shall be brought forth by the
resurrection of the dead, through the triumph and the glory
of the Lamb," and "shall be redeemed in the due time of the
Lord after the sufferings of his wrath." But of the others it
is said, "they shall not be redeemed," for "they are the only
ones on whom the second death shall have any power." The
others, never having been redeemed from the first, cannot
be doomed to the second death, or in other words, cannot
be made to suffer eternally the wrath of God, without hope
of redemption through repentance, but must continue to suf-
fer the first death until they repent, and are redeemed there-
from through the power of the atonement and the gospel
of salvation, thereby being brought to the possession of all
the keys and blessings to which they will be capable of at-
taining or to which they may be entitled, through the mercy,
justice and power of the everlasting God; or, on the other

20 GOSPEL DOCTRINE

hand, forever remain bound in the chains of spiritual dark-
ness, bondage and banishment from his presence, kingdom
and glory. The "temporal death" is one thing, and the
"spiritual death" is another thing. The body may be dis-
solved and become extinct as an organism, although the ele-
ments of which it is composed are indestructible or eternal,
but I hold it as self-evident that the spiritual organism is an
eternal, immortal being, destined to enjoy eternal happiness
and a fulness of joy, or suffer the wrath of God, and misery
■ — a just condemnation, eternally. Adam became spiritually
dead, yet he lived to endure it until freed therefrom by the
power of the atonement, through repentance, etc. Those
upon whom the second death shall fall will live to suffer and
endure it, but without hope of redemption. The death of
the body, or natural death, is but a temporary circumstance
to which all were subjected through the fall, and from which
all will be restored or resurrected by the power of God,
through the atonement of Christ.

Man existed before he came to this earth, and he will
exist after he passes from it; and will continue to live
throughout the countless ages of eternity.

There are three classes of beings ; or rather, man exists
in three separate conditions, before and after his probation
upon this earth — first, in the spirit or pre-existent state;
second, in the disembodied state, the condition which exists
after the dissolution of the body and spirit until the resur-
rection take place; and third, in the resurrected state. For
instance, some fourteen hundred years before the coming
of Christ into the world to sojourn in the flesh, he showed
himself to the brother of Jared and said, "Behold this body,
which ye now behold, is the body of my spirit, and man have
I created after the body of my spirit ; and even as I appear
unto thee to be in the spirit, will I appear unto my people
in the flesh." He further declared, "Behold I am he who

CHURCH, PRIESTHOOD AND MAN 21

was prepared from the foundation of the world to redeem
my people. Behold I am Jesus Christ."

Here Jesus showed himself unto this man in the spirit,
even after the manner and in the likeness of the same body,
even as he showed himself unto the Nephites — that is, prior
to his coming in the flesh. This I consider typical of the
first condition of all spirits. Again it is written, "For Christ
also hath once suffered for sins, the just for the unjust, that
he might bring us to God, being put to death in the flesh,
but quickened by the Spirit : by which also he went and
preached unto the spirits in prison : which sometime were
disobedient, when once the long-suffering of God waited in
the days of Noah, while the ark was a preparing, wherein
few, that is, eight souls were saved by water," etc. Thus we
see that while the body of our Savior slept in the tomb, he
went in the spirit, and preached his glorious gospel to "the
spirits in prison," who were disobedient in the days of Noah,
and were destroyed in the flesh by the flood. This was their
second condition or state # in the spirit, awaiting the resurrec-
tion of their bodies which were slumbering in death. "Mar-
vel not at this :" saith Jesus, "for the hour is coming, in the
which all that are in the graves shall hear his [the Re-
deemer's] voice, and shall come forth ; they that have done
good, unto the resurrection of life ; and they that have done
evil, unto the resurrection of damnation." In reference to
the third condition or state, we will refer to the account
given of the risen Redeemer before his ascension. John
tells us that he appeared unto his disciples three times after
his resurrection, on which occasions he ate bread, broiled
fish and honeycomb, and opened the eyes of their under-
standing, that they began to comprehend the Scriptures and
the prophecies concerning Christ. But when he appeared
unto them they were terrified and affrighted, and supposed
that they had seen a spirit. And he said unto them, "Why

22 GOSPEL DOCTRINE

are ye troubled ? And why do thoughts arise in your hearts ?
Behold my hands and my feet, that it is I myself ; handle me,
and see; for a spirit hath not flesh and bones, as ye see
me have." Here is presented the true type of the resur-
rected being. And after this manner are all those who have
their resurrected bodies, and there are many of these, for we
are told in the scriptures that "the graves were opened, and
many bodies of the Saints which slept arose and came out
of the graves, after his resurrection, and went into the holy
city and appeared unto many." This class of beings dwell
in heaven, or in the paradise of the just, having been counted
worthy to come forth in the first resurrection, even with
Christ, to dwell with him and to be associated with the mem-
bers of the kingdom of God and his Christ. These comprise
the three conditions or estates of man in heaven.. Not all,
however, of the disembodied spirits enjoy the same privi-
leges, exaltation and glory. The spirits of the wicked, diso-
bedient, and unbelieving, are denied the privileges, joy and
glory of the spirits of the just arfd good. The bodies of
the Saints will come forth in the first resurrection, and
those of the unbelieving, etc., in the second, or last. In
other words, the Saints will rise first, and those who are not
Saints will not rise until afterwards, according to the wis-
dom, justice and mercy of God.

Christ is the great example for all mankind, and I be-
lieve that mankind were as much foreordained to become
like him, as that he was foreordained to be the Redeemer of
man. "Whom God did foreknow" — and whom did he not
foreknow ? — "he also did predestinate to be conformed to the
image of his Son, that he might be the firstborn among
many brethren." It is very plain that mankind are very
far from being like Christ, as the world is today, only in
form of person. In this we are like him, or in the form of
his person, as he is the express image of his Father's person.
We are therefore in the form of God, physically, and may

CHURCH, PRIESTHOOD AND MAN 23

become like him spiritually, and like him in the possession
of knowledge, intelligence, wisdom and power.

The grand object of our coining to this earth is that
we may become like Christ, for if we are not like him, we
cannot become the sons of God, and be joint heirs with
Christ.

The man who passes through this probation, and is
faithful, being redeemed from sin by the blood of Christ,
through the ordinances of the gospel, and attains to exalta-
tion in the kingdom of God, is not less but greater than the
angels, and if you doubt it, read your Bible, for there it is
written that the Saints shall "judge angels," and also they
shall "judge the world." And why? Because the resur-
rected, righteous man has progressed beyond the pre-exist-
ent or disembodied spirits, and has risen above them, hav-
ing both spirit and body as Christ has, having gained the
victory over death and the grave, and having power over sin
and Satan ; in fact, having passed from the condition of the
angels to that of a God. He possesses keys of power, do-
minion and glory that the angel does not possess — and can-
not possess without gaining them in the same way that he
gained them, which will be by passing through the same
ordeals and proving equally faithful. It was so ordained
when the morning stars sang together, before the founda-
tions of this earth were laid. Man in his pre-existent con-
dition is not perfect, neither is he in the disembodied estate.
There is no perfect estate but that of the risen Redeemer,
which is God's estate, and no man can become perfect ex-
cept he become like the Gods. And what are they like? I
have shown what Christ is like, and he is like his Father,
but I will refer to an undoubted authority to this people,
on this point: "The Father has a body of flesh and bones
as tangible as man's ; the Son also : but the Holy Ghost has
not a body of flesh and bones, but is a personage of Spirit.
Were it not so, the Holy Ghost could not dwell in us." (Doc.

24 GOSPEL DOCTRINE

and Cov. Sec. 130.) There is not time to refer to the many
scriptural passages which might be cited in proof of these
important facts, enough already have been referred to, to
place the matter beyond a doubt.

It is believed by many in the Christian world, that our
Savior finished his mission when he expired upon the cross,
and his last words on the cross, as given by the Apostle
John — "it is finished," are frequently quoted as evidence of
the fact; but this is an error. Christ did not complete his
mission upon the earth until after his body was raised from
the dead. Had his mission been completed when he died,
his disciples would have continued fishermen, carpenters,
etc., for they returned to their several occupations soon after
the crucifixion, not yet knowing the force of their holy call-
ing, nor understanding the mission assigned them by their
Master, whose name would soon have been buried with his
body in the grave to perish and be forgotten, "for as yet they
knew not the scripture, that he must rise again from the
dead." But the most glorious part of his mission had to be
accomplished after the crucifixion and death of his body.
When on the first day of the week some of the disciples
went to the tomb with certain preparations for the body of
their Lord, they were met there by two men clothed in
"shining garments," who said unto them, "Why seek ye the
living among the dead ? He is not here, but is risen. Re-
member how he spoke unto you when he was yet in Gali-
lee, saying, The Son of Man must be delivered into the hands
of sinful men and be crucified, and the third day rise again."
And not until then did the disciples remember these words
of the Savior, or begin to understand their meaning. Why
were they thus forgetful, and seemingly ignorant of all they
had been taught by the Savior respecting the objects of his
mission to the earth? Because they lacked one important
qualification, they had not yet been "endowed with power
from on high." They had not yet obtained the gift of the

CHURCH, PRIESTHOOD AND MAN 25

Holy Ghost. And the presumption is, they never would
have received this important and essential endowment had
Christ's mission been completed at the time of his death.

It may seem strange to some who may not have reflected
on this matter fully, that the disciples of Christ were without
the gift of the Holy Ghost until after his resurrection. But
so it is written, notwithstanding the Savior on one occasion
declared, "blessed art thou, Simon, etc., for flesh and blood
hath not revealed this unto thee, but my Father which is in
heaven." While Jesus was with them he was their light and
their inspiration. They followed him by sight, and felt the
majestic power of his presence, and when these were gone
they returned to their nets and to their various occupations
and to their homes saying, "we trusted that it had been he
which should have redeemed Israel, but the chief priests
and our rulers have delivered him to be condemned to death,
and have crucified him." No wonder that Jesus exclaimed
unto some of them, "O fools, and slow of heart to believe
all that the prophets have spoken."

If the disciples had been endowed with the "gift of
the Holy Ghost," or "with power from on high," at this time,
their course would have been altogether different from this,
as the sequel abundantly proved. If Peter, who was the
chief apostle, had received the gift of the Holy Ghost, and
the power and testimony thereof prior to the terrible night
on which he cursed and swore and denied his Lord, the re-
sult would have been very different with him, for then he
would have sinned against "light and knowledge," and
"against the Holy Ghost," for which there is no forgiveness.
The fact, therefore, that he was forgiven, after bitter tears
of repentance, is an evidence that he was without the wit-
ness of the Holy Ghost, never having received it. The other
disciples or apostles of Christ were precisely in the same
condition, and it was not until the evening of the day on
which Jesus came out of the grave that he bestowed upon

26 GOSPEL DOCTRINE

them this inestimable gift. John gives a careful description
of this important event which concludes as follows : "Then
said Jesus to them again, Peace be unto you ; as my Father
hath sent me, even so send I you. And when he had said this,
he breathed on them N and saith unto them, Receive ye the
Holy Ghost; whose soever sins ye remit, they are remitted
unto them," etc. This was their glorious commission, and
now were they prepared to receive the witness of the Spirit
— even the testimony of Jesus Christ. Yet they were told
to "tarry in Jerusalem, until they were endued with power
from on high," which they did. Jesus further told them
that if he went not away the "Comforter" — that is, the Holy
Ghost — would not come unto them, but if he went away he
would "send him," and he it was who should testify of
Christ, and of the Father, and bring to their remembrance
"all things whatsoever" he had commanded or taught them,
and it should "lead them into all truth." Thus we see that
the resurrection from the dead, not only of Christ, but of
all mankind, in the due time of the Lord, the endowment of
the apostles with the Holy Ghost, and their glorious com-
mission from Christ, being sent out by him as he was sent
by the Father; the opening of the eyes of the disciples to
understand the prophecies of the Scriptures, and many other
things did Jesus after he cried out upon the cross, "it is
finished." Further, the mission of Jesus will be unfinished
until he redeems the whole human family, except the sons of
perdition, and also this earth from the curse that is upon it,
and both the earth and its inhabitants can be presented to
the Father redeemed, sanctified and glorious.

Things upon the earth, so far as they have not been
perverted by wickedness, are typical of things in heaven.
Heaven was the prototype of this beautiful creation when
it came from the hand of the Creator, and was pronounced
"good." — Journal of Discourses, Vol. 23 (1883), pp. 169-
175, delivered June 18, 1882.

CHURCH, PRIESTHOOD AND MAN 27

Man Eternally Responsible. Man will be held re-
sponsible in the life to come for the deeds that he has done
in this life, and will have to answer for the stewardships
entrusted to his care here, before the Judge of the quick and
the dead, the Father of our spirits, and of our Lord and
Master. This is in the design of God, a part of his great
purpose. We are not here to live a few months or years, to
eat, drink and sleep, then to die, pass away and perish. The
Lord Almighty never designed man to be so ephemeral, use-
less and imperfect as this. I would pity the being who had
such a conception as this of the Creator of the starry heav-
ens, the planets, and the world on which we dwell, poor as
it is in glory in comparison to the many others created. Is
it conceivable that one possessing such power, majesty, intel-
ligence, light and knowledge would create a world like this
and people it with beings in his own image and likeness only
to live and grovel through a short, miserable existence, then
die and perish ? No such thing ! There is no death here, but
there is life!

God is the God of the living, and not of the dead. He
is the God of Abraham, Isaac and Jacob, and of the ancient
prophets. They live ! They live not only in the words they
spoke, the predictions they made, and in the promises handed
down from generation to generation to the children of men ;
they live not only in the record they made, in the doctrines
that they taught, and in the hope that they held out for
redemption, atonement and salvation, but they live in spirit,
in entity, as they lived here. They are prophets, as they
were prophets here, the chosen of God; patriarchs, as they
were here; possessing the same identity, the same entity;
and by and by, if not already, they will possess the same
bodies they possessed while journeying in mortality. Those
bodies will become purified, cleansed, and made perfect ; and
the spirit and the body will be reunited, never more to be
separated, never again to taste of death. This is the law

28 GOSPEL DOCTRINE

and the promise of God, and the words spoken to his ancient
prophets, come down to us through the generations that
have followed. — Improvement Era, Vol. 21, p. 357, Feb.,
1918.

Our Indestructible, Immortal Identity. What a
glorious thing it is to know and be true to that which has
been revealed in these latter times through the instrumental-
ity of the Prophet Joseph Smith. It was revealed anciently
by the Savior himself, and he exemplified that glorious prin-
ciple of which I wish to say a few words, and which has
been renewed and emphasized more especially in these latter
days through Joseph Smith — I refer to our identity, our in-
destructible, immortal identity. As in Christ we have the
example, he was born of woman, he lived, he died, and he
lived again in his own person and being, bearing ^ven the
marks of the wounds in his flesh, after his resurrection from
the dead — so also a testimony has been given to you, in later
days, through the Prophet Joseph Smith, and others who
have been blessed with knowledge, that the same individual
Being still lives and will always live. Jesus is possessed of
immortality, and eternal life; and in evidence of his exist-
ence and his immortality, and in evidence of the great and
glorious truths of the gospel which he taught, the death
which he died, and the resurrection that he wrought from
the dead, he has revealed himself and borne his own record
and testimony to those who have lived and still live in this
day and age. What a glorious thought it is, to me at least,
and it must be to all who have conceived of the truth or
received it in their hearts, that those from whom we have to
part here, we will meet again and see as they are. We will
meet the same identical being that we associated with here in
the flesh — not some other soul, some other being, or the
same being in some other form, but the same identity and
the same form and likeness, the same person we knew and
were associated with in our mortal existence, even to the

CHURCH, PRIESTHOOD AND MAN 29

wounds in the flesh. Not that a person will always be
marred by scars, wounds, deformities, defects or infirmities,
for these will be removed in their course, in their proper
time, according to the merciful providence of God. De-
formity will be removed ; defects will be eliminated, and men
and women shall attain to the perfection of their spirits, to
the perfection that God designed in the beginning. It is his
purpose that men and women, his children, born to become
heirs of God, and joint heirs with Jesus Christ, shall be
made perfect, physically as well as spiritually, through obe-
dience to the law by which he has provided the means that
perfection shall come to all hischildren. Therefore, I look for
the time when our dear Brother William C. Staines, whom
we all knew so well, and with whom we were familiar for
years — I was familiar with him, all my life, just as I was
familiar with Aunt Rachel here all my life, and do not re-
member the time when I did not know her — I look for the
time, I say, when Brother Staines will be restored. He will
not remain the crippled and deformed William C. Staines
that we knew, but he will be restored to his perfect frame
— every limb, every joint, every part of his physical being
will be restored to its perfect frame. This is the law and
the word of God to us, as it is contained in the revelations
that have come to us, through the Prophet Joseph Smith.
The point in my mind which I desire to speak of particu-
larly is this : When we shall have the privilege to meet our
mother, our aunt, our sister, this noble woman whose mor-
tal remains lie here now, but whose immortal spirit has
ascended to God from whence it came, when that spirit shall
return to take up this tabernacle again, she will be Aunt
Rachel in her perfection. She will not always remain just
as she will appear when she is restored again to life, but she
will go on to perfection. Under that law of restoration that
God has provided, she will regain her perfection, the per-
fection of her youth, the perfection of her glory and of her

30 GOSPEL DOCTRINE

being, until her resurrected body shall assume the exact
stature of the spirit that possessed it here in its perfection,
and thus we shall see the glorified, redeemed, exalted, per-
fected Aunt Rachel, mother, sister, saint and daughter of
the living God, her. identity being unchanged, as a child
may grow to manhood or womanhood and still be the same
being.

I want to say to my friends, my brethren and sisters,
and to the kindred, that the Lord Almighty has revealed
these truths to us in these days. We not only have it in
the written word, we have it in the testimony of the Spirit
of God in the heart of every soul who has drunk from the
fountain of truth and light, and that witness bears record
of these words to us. What else would satisfy us? What
else would satisfy the desire of the immortal soul? Would
we be satisfied to be imperfect? Would we be satisfied to
be decrepit? Would we be satisfied to remain forever and
ever in the form of infirmity incident to age ? No ! Would
we be satisfied to see the children we bury in their infancy
remain as children only, throughout the countless ages of
eternity? No! Neither would the spirit that did possess
the tabernacles of our children be satisfied to remain in that
condition. But we know our children will not be com-
pelled to remain a child in stature always, for it was re-
vealed from God, the fountain of truth, through Joseph
Smith the prophet, in this dispensation, that in the resur-
rection of the dead the child that was buried in its infancy
will come up in the form of the child that it was when it
was laid down, then it will begin to develop. From the day
of the resurrection, the body will develop until it reaches the
full measure of the stature of its spirit, whether it be male
or female. If the spirit possessed the intelligence of God
and the aspirations of mortal souls, it could not be satisfied
with anything less than this. You will remember we are told
that the spirit of Jesus Christ visited one of the ancient

CHURCH, PRIESTHOOD AND MAN 31

prophets and revealed himself to him, and he declared his
identity, that he was the same Son of God that was to come
in the meridian of time. He said he would appear in the
flesh just as he appeared to that prophet. He was not an'
infant; he was a grown, developed spirit; possessing the
form of man and the form of God, the same form as when
he came and took upon him a tabernacle and developed it
to the full stature of his spirit. These are truths that have
been revealed to us. What for? To give us intelligent
hope; to give us intelligent aspiration; to lead 'us to think,
to hope, to labor and accomplish what God has aimed and
does aim and design that we should accomplish, not only in
this life, but in the life to come.

I rejoice exceedingly that I know and have known
nearly all my life such a noble woman. I do not remember
the first time that I saw Aunt Rachel, I can't recall it; it
seems to me I always knew her, just as I knew my mother
in my childhood and all the way through life; and I rejoice
exceedingly in this testimony of the Spirit of the Lord that
has come to us through revelation in the latter days. Through
this testimony I am confident that I shall see Aunt Rachel,
by and by; and when I go — and I expect to go, perhaps,
long before she shall recover this tabernacle — I expect to
meet her there. I expect to meet the same individual that
I knew here. I expect to be able to recognize her just as I
could recognize her tomorrow, if she were living. I believe
I will know just exactly who she is and what she is, and
I will remember all I knew about her; and enjoy her asso-
ciation in the spirit as I did in the flesh; because her iden-
tity is fixed and indestructible, just as fixed and indestruc-
tible as the identity of God the Father and Jesus Christ the
Son. They cannot be any other than themselves. They
cannot be changed ; they are from everlasting to everlasting,
eternally the same ; so it will be with us. We will progress
and develop and grow in wisdom and understanding, but our

32 GOSPEL DOCTRINE

identity can never change. We did not spring from spawn.
Our spirits existed from the beginning, have existed always,
and will continue forever. We did not pass through the or-
deals of embodiment in the lesser animals in order to reach
the perfection to which we have attained in manhood and
womanhood, in the image and likeness of God. God was
and is our Father, and his children were begotten in the
flesh in his own image and likeness, male and female. There
may have been times when they did not possess the same
intelligence that they possessed at other times. There are
periods in the history of the world when men have dwin-
dled into ignorance and barbarism, and then there were
other times when they have grown in intelligence, developed
in understanding, enlarged in spirit and comprehension, ap-
proaching nearer to the condition and likeness of their
Father and God, and then losing faith, losing the love of
God, losing the light of the Spirit and returning again to
semi-barbarism. Then again, they have been restored, by
the power and operation of the Spirit of the Lord upon
their minds, until they again reached a degree of intelligence.
We have reached a degree of intelligence, in our dispensa-
tion. Will this same degree of intelligence, that now exists
throughout the world, continue to exist? Yes; if the world
continue to abide in the light that has been shed abroad in
the world by the Father of light, with whom there is no
variableness nor shadow of turning. But let them deny God,
let them deny truth, let them depart from righteousness, let
them begin again to wallow in wickedness and transgression
of the laws of God, and what will be the result? They will
degenerate; they will again recede possibly into absolute
barbarism, unless they repent, and the power of God will
be again restored to them and they be again lifted up by
that light which shines and is never dim, except to men
who shut their hearts and eyes and ears against it and will
not receive it.

CHURCH, PRIESTHOOD AND MAN 33

I did not expect to enter into any lengthy discourse. I
thank God for my relationship and acquaintance with this
noble, good mother. I expect to be associated with her
throughout all the ages to come, if I can be as faithful as
she has been. I desire to be, and that isn't all — with the help
of God, I intend to be faithful, as she has been faithful, that
in the end I may be worthy to dwell where she will dwell,
with the Prophet Joseph Smith, with her husband with
whom she was associated here in the flesh, with her son
and her children, from generation to generation. I expect
to be associated with them in the mansions that are prepared
for the righteous, where God and Christ are, where those
shall be who believe in his name, who receive his work and
abide in his law. Oh ! that L could be instrumental in the
hands of the Lord in bringing every loved soul unto him,
for there are souls that are still lacking, whom I love, and
if it were possible, how I would love to be instrumental in
the hand of the Lord in bringing those loved souls to a
knowledge of this truth, that they might receive of its glory,
benefits and blessings in this life and in the life to come.
From my childhood, I have always tried to be a savior on
Mount Zion, a savior among men. I have that desire in my
heart. I may not have been very successful in my ambi-
tion to accomplish this work, but I have desired it, and I
still desire that I may be instrumental in helping to spread
this truth to the earth's remotest bounds and the testimony
of it to the children of men in every land. I know it is
true. It appeals to my judgment, to my desires ; and to the
aspirations of my soul. I want my family; I want those
the Lord has given to me ; I want them now ; I want them
forever! I want to be associated with them forever. I do
not want them to change their identity. I do not want them
to be somebody else. This idea of theosophy, that is gaining
ground even among so-called Christians, in these latter days,
is a fallacy of the deepest kind. It is absolutely repugnant

34 GOSPEL DOCTRINE

to the very soul of man to think that a civilized, intelligent
being might become a dog, a cow, a cat; that he might be
transformed into another shape, another kind of being. It is
absolutely repulsive, and so opposed to the great truth of
God, that has been revealed from the beginning, that he is
from the beginning always the same, that he cannot change,
and that his children cannot change. They may change
from worse to better; they may change from evil to good,
from unrighteousness to righteousness, from humanity to
immortality, from death to life everlasting. They may
progress in the manner in which God has progressed; they
may grow and advance, but their identity can never be
changed, worlds without end — remember that, God has re-
vealed these principles, and I know they are true. They
assert their truth upon the intelligent mind and soul of man.
They embrace or embody that which the Lord has planted
in our hearts and souls to desire, and to give it unto us.
They put us in the way of receiving that which we most
desire and most love, that which is most necessary and es-
sential to our happiness and exaltation. They take of the
things of God and give them to us, and they prepare us for
the future, for exaltation and for eternal happiness, a re-
ward which all the souls in the world desire, if they are
correct in their lives and thoughts. It is only the vicious
and the truly wicked who do not desire purity; they do not
love purity and truth. I do not know whether it is possible
for any soul to become so debased as to lose all regard for
that which is pure and chaste, good and true and godlike. I
believe that there still lingers in the heart of the most vicious
and wicked, at times at least, a spark of that divinity that
has been planted in the souls of all the sons of God. Men
may become so corrupt that they do not have more than
mere glimpses of that divine inspiration that strives to lead
them toward and to love good; but I do not believe there
is a soul in the world that has absolutely lost all conception

,^

CHURCH, PRIESTHOOD AND MAN 35

and admiration of that which is good and pure, when he
sees it. It is hard to believe that a human being may be-
come so depraved that he has lost all desire that he might
also be good and pure, if it were possible ; but many people
have abandoned themselves to evil and have come to the
conclusion that there is no chance for them. While there is
life there is hope, and while there is repentance there is a
chance for forgiveness ; and if there is forgiveness, there is
a chance for growth and development until we acquire the
full knowledge of these principles that will exalt and save us
and prepare us to enter into the presence of God the Father,
who is the Father of our spirits, and who is the Father, in
the flesh, of his Only Begotten Son, Jesus Christ, who
joined divine immortality with the mortal, welded the link
between God and man, and made it possible for mortal souls,
on whom the sentence of death had been placed, to acquire
eternal life, through obedience to his laws. Let us, there-
fore, seek for the truth and walk in the light as Christ is in
the light, that we may have fellowship with him, and with
each other, that his blood may cleanse us from all sin.

May the Lord comfort my brother Heber, and I know
he will. Brother Heber does not feel that there is any death
here. I don't think I could weep for sorrow. I could give
way to tears just now, but they would not be tears of sor-
row, of mourning, or of grief, for this good soul. They
would only express the love I have for her ; they would only
indicate my feelings toward her, for the noble and pure ex-
ample she set before me and all who have known her. I
could weep for joy in the knowledge that I possess that she,
in her spirit life and being, is and will be associated with
all those who have been endeared to her by the persecutions,
the experiences and the trials through which she has had to
pass in this world. With them she is rejoicing today, as
one born out of death into life everlasting. She is not dead ;
she lives! What greater proof do you want of that fact

36 GOSPEL DOCTRINE

than to see her lifeless form? Who is she? This is her
casket. This is her mortal tenement; this is but the clay
that enveloped the immortal, living Aunt Rachel, the living
spirit. The spirit has fled. Her spirit, the immortal part,
has departed from this tabernacle; hence, this tabernacle
lies here lifeless and ready to return to mother earth from
whence it came, but to be restored again, every element to be
recalled and re-formed in its perfect frame, when Aunt
Rachel will come and take possession of it and inherit it for-
ever, just as Christ came and took up his body that was not
suffered to see corruption, and inherited it in its immortal
state, never to be separated again; so it will be with her. —
Improvement Era, Vol. 12, p. 591, June, 1909. Speech at
the funeral services of Rachel Grant, mother of President
Heber J. Grant.

No New Principles in the Gospel. We have no new
principles to advocate ; but we have come to preach the gos-
pel of life and salvation, to testify to the divinity of our
Lord and Savior, Jesus Christ, and of the divine mission
of the Prophet Joseph Smith, through whose instrumen-
tality the truth was restored in this dispensation. — Improve-
ment Era, Vol. 21, p. 98, December, 1917;

Fountain of Truth. We hear frequently of men
who throw discredit on the doctrine of Jesus Christ, our
Savior and Redeemer, because some of the principles, doc-
trines, and philosophy which he taught are said to have
been spoken before his day by heathen philosophers.

A variety of examples are sometimes quoted to show
that the ideals which have grown from the doctrines of
Christ are a direct development of what is found in the
teachings of the Old Testament, particularly in the Psalms
and in the second part of Isaiah. But, on the other hand,
it is just as certain that these ideals receive a finish and an
enrichment, by the touch of the Savior, vastly beyond and
above what they possessed before, and also they are placed

CHURCH, PRIESTHOOD AND MAN 37

on deeper and firmer foundations. This, let it be said to
begin with, is because they were his before they were ever
uttered by man.

Even in the five distinctive and characteristic topics gen-
erally considered by commentators original in the teachings
of Jesus, we find little if anything new, except the enlarge-
ment. These are named as, the Fatherhood of God, the King-
dom of God ; subjects or members of the Kingdom ; the Mes-
siah ; the Holy Ghost ; and the Tri-unity of God.

But the idea of the Fatherhood of God was not un-
known either to the Pagans or to Israel. Zeus, from the time
of Homer, had borne the name "father of gods and men."
But, both in Jewish and Pagan literature, the idea was super-
ficial and meant little more than "originator" (Gen. 1 :26) ;
and in the old Jewish scripture God is more particularly
called the "Father of his people, Israel" (Deut. 14:1 ; Isaiah
63 :16). But in the teachings of Christ there is a fuller em-
bodiment of revelation in the. word Father, and the appli-
cation which he makes of the Fatherhood of God invests
his life with supreme tenderness and beauty. As an exam-
ple: In the old scripture, we are told, "Like as a father
pitieth his children,- so the Lord pitieth them that fear him"
(Psalms 103 :13) ; but by the interpretation of Jesus, the love
of God as Father extends beyond these limitations even to
those who are unthankful and evil : "But I say unto you,
Love your enemies, bless them that curse you, do good to
them that hate you, and pray for them which despitefully
use you and persecute you; that ye may be the children of
your Father which is in heaven: for he maketh his sun to
rise on the evil and on the good, and sendeth rain on the
just and the unjust" (Matt. 5:45). "But love ye your en-
emies, and do good, and lend, hoping for nothing again ; and •
your reward shall be great, and ye shall be the children of
the Highest ; for he is kind unto the unthankful and to the
evil" (Luke 6:35).

38 GOSPEL DOCTRINE

And so with other doctrines of Christ; while perhaps
not new they are enriched by the addition of fuller, broader,
more loving conceptions of God and his purposes ; in which
compulsion was eliminated and lowly service, love, and self-
sacrifice were substituted and made the true forces of an
acceptable life. Even the answer to the lawyer's question,
often called the eleventh commandment: "Master, which is
the great commandment in the law?" had been given to the
children of Israel (Lev. 19:19), over two thousand years be-
fore its perfected meaning was impressed upon the learned
Pharisee (Matt. 22:34,40).

But what of all this ? Are we therefore to discredit the
teachings of the Savior? Verily no. Let it be remembered
that Christ was with the Father from the beginning, that
the gospel of truth and light existed from the beginning and
is from everlasing to everlasting. The Father, Son and Holy
Ghost, as one God, are the fountain of truth. From this
fountain all the ancient learned philosophers have received
their inspiration and wisdom — from it they have received
all their knowledge. If we find truth in broken fragments
through the ages, it may be set down as an incontrovertible
fact that it originated at the fountain, and was given to
philosophers, inventors, patriots, reformers, and prophets by
the inspiration of God. It came from him through his Son
Jesus Christ and the Holy Ghost, in the first place, and from
no other source. It is eternal.

Christ, therefore, being the fountain of truth, is no
imitator. He taught the truth first ; it was his before it was
given to man. When he came to the earth he not only pro-
claimed new thought, but repeated some of the everlasting
principles which had been heretofore only partly understood
and enunciated by the wisest of men. And in so doing he
enlarged in every instance upon the wisdom which they had
originally received from him, because of his superior abilities
and wisdom and his association with the Father and the

CHURCH, PRIESTHOOD AND MAN 39

Holy Ghost. He did not imitate men. They made known
in their imperfect way what the inspiration of Jesus Christ
had taught them, for they obtained their enlightenment first
from him.

Christ taught the gospel to Adam and made known his
truths to Abraham and the prophets. He was the inspirer
of the ancient philosophers, Pagan or Israelite, as well as
of the great characters of modern times. Columbus, in dis-
covery; Washington, in the struggle for freedom; Lin-
coln, in emancipation and union ; Bacon, in philosophy ;
Franklin, in statesmanship and diplomacy; Stephenson, in
steam; Watts, in song; Edison, in electricity, and Joseph
Smith, in theology and religion, found in Christ the source
of their wisdom and the marvelous truths which they advo-
cated.

Calvin, Luther, Malanchthon, and all the reformers, were
inspired in thoughts, words, and actions, to accomplish what
they did for the amelioration, liberty and advancement of the
human race. They paved the way for the more perfect gos-
pel of truth to come. Their inspiration, as with that of the
ancients, came from the Father, his Son Jesus Christ, and
the Holy Ghost, the one true and living God. This may also
truthfully be said concerning the Revolutionary fathers of
this nation, and all who have in the ages past contributed to
the progress of civil and religious freedom. There is no
light nor truth which did not come to them first from him.
Men are mere repeaters of what he has taught them. He
has voiced no thoughts originating with man. The teach-
ings of Jesus did not begin with his incarnation; for, like
truth, he is eternal. He not only inspired the ancients, from
the beginning, but when he came to earth he reiterated eter-
nal, original truth, and added gloriously to the revelations
men had uttered. When he returned to the Father he still
took and does take an interest in his children and people,
by revealing to them ne.w truths, and by inspiring their

40 GOSPEL DOCTRINE

actions; and, as men grow in the knowledge of God, they
shall become more and more like him unto the perfect day,
when his knowledge shall cover the earth as the waters
cover the deep.

It is folly, therefore, to discredit the Savior on the
grounds that he has uttered nothing new; for, with the
Father and the Spirit, he is the author of that which persists
— the truth — that which has been, that which is, and that
which will continue forever. — Improvement Era, Vol. 10, pp.
627-630, 1906-7.

Eternity of the Spirit of Man. Again, where are
we going? We come here and sojourn in the flesh a little
season and then we pass away. Every soul that is born
into the world will die. There is not a soul that has escaped
death, except those upon whom God has passed, by the
power of his Spirit, that they should live in the flesh until
the second coming of the Son of Man ; but they will even-
tually have to pass through the ordeal called death; it may
be in the twinkling of an eye, and without pain or suffering ;
but they will pass through the change, because it is an irrev-
ocable edict of the Almighty. "In the day that thou eatest
thou shalt surely die." This was the edict of the Almighty,
and it pertains to Adam — that is, all the human race; for
Adam is many, and it means you and me and every soul
that lives and that bears the image of the Father. We shall
all die. But is that the end of our being? If we had an
existence before we came here we certainly shall continue
that existence when we leave here. The spirit will continue
to exist as it did before, with the additional advantages de-
rived from having passed through this probation. It is
absolutely necessary that we should come to the earth and
take upon us tabernacles ; because if we did not have taber-
nacles we could not be like God, or like Jesus Christ. God
has a tabernacle of flesh and bone. He is an organized be-
ing just as we are who are now in the flesh. Jesus Christ

CHURCH, PRIESTHOOD AND MAN 41

was born of his mother, Mary. He had a fleshly taber-
nacle ; he was crucified on the cross, and his body was raised
from the dead. He burst the bonds of the grave and came
forth to newness of life, a living soul, a living being, a man
with a body, and with parts and with spirit — the spirit and
the body becoming a living and immortal soul. You and
I have got to do the same thing. We must go through the
same ordeal in order to attain to the glory and exaltation
which God designed we should enjoy with him in the eter-
nal worlds. In other" words, we must become like him;
peradventure to sit upon thrones, to have dominion, power
and eternal increase. God designed this in the beginning.
We are the children of God. He is an eternal being, with-
out beginning of days or end of years. He always was,,
he is, he always will be. We are precisely in the same con-
dition and under the same circumstances that God our heav-
enly Father was when he was passing through this or a
similar ordeal. We are destined to come forth out of the
grave as Jesus did, and to obtain immortal bodies as he did
— that is, that our tabernacles are to become immortal as his
became immortal, that the spirit and the body may be joined
together and become one living being, indivisible, insepara-
ble, eternal. — Deseret Weekly News, Vol. 33, pp. 130, 131.
Purposes of the Almighty Unchangeable. The pur-
poses of the Almighty are unchanged and unchangeable. His
laws endure, and he is the same yesterday, today and for-
ever. His purposes will ripen and be consummated and his
designs be completed. Therefore, if we do not conform to
his will, obey his laws and yield to his requirements in this
world, we will be consigned to the "prison house," where
we will remain until we pay the debt to the uttermost
farthing.— Deseret Weekly News, Vol. 24, 1875, p. 708.

CHAPTER III
Revelation

Value of the Spirit of Revelation. The man who
possesses the spirit of revelation can realize whether he is a
sinner, whether he is prone to evil, whether he is magnify-
ing his standing before the Lord, or not, better than a man
who has not the Spirit of the Lord in him, can he not? —
Apr. C. R., 1912, p. 7.

The Spirit of Inspiration — Of Revelation — By
Whom Enjoyed. And the spirit of inspiration, the gift of
revelation does not belong to one man solely ; it is not a gift
that pertains to the Presidency of the Church and the Twelve
apostles alone. It is not confined to the presiding author-
ities of the Church, it belongs to every individual member of
the Church; and it is the right and privilege of every man,
every woman, and every child who has reached the years
of accountability, to enjoy the spirit of revelation, and to
be possessed of the spirit of inspiration in the discharge of
their duties as members of the Church. It is the privilege
of every individual member of the Church to have revela-
tion for his own guidance, for the direction of his life and
conduct* and therefore I aver — and I believe I may do so
without any reasonable chance for it being gainsaid or op-
posed — that there is not another church in the world, or an
organization of religious people, who are so universally spir-
itual in their lives, and who are so universally entitled to the
gifts of the Spirit of God as are the members of the Church
of Jesus Christ of Latter-day Saints. You are all entitled
to revelation. It is your privilege to have it revealed to you
whether I am a servant of God or a servant of men ; whether
I am in the discharge of my duty or not; whether I, as a

REVELATION 43

presiding officer in the Church, am acting in the discharge
of my duty acceptably to you and the Lord. It. is your priv-
ilege to have revelation in regard to this, and to know the
truth yourselves. And it is my privilege to have revelation
from God, as an individual, for my own temporal guidance,
and I repeat again that there never was a time in the earth,
since the Church was organized, when the spirituality of
the people of God was greater than it is today. — Apr. C. R.,
1912, p. 5.

The Spirit of Revelation Enjoyed By All. I be-
lieve that every individual in the Church has just as much
right to enjoy the spirit of revelation and the understand-
ing from God which that spirit of revelation gives him, for
his own good, as the bishop has to enable him to preside over
his ward. Every man has the privilege to exercise these
gifts and these privileges in the conduct of his own affairs,
in bringing up his children in the way they should go, and
in the management of his farm, his flocks, his herds, and
in the management of his business, if he has business of other
kinds to do ; it is his right to enjoy the spirit of revelation
and of inspiration to do the right thing, to be wise and pru-
dent, just and good in everything that he does. I know that
this is a true principle, and I know that I know it, too ; and
that is the thing that I would like the Latter-day Saints to
know.— Apr. C. R., 1912, pp. 9, 10.

New Revelation. So far as I know there is not an
ordinance of the Church now enjoyed or practiced that was
not revealed to the Church by the Prophet Joseph Smith.
I know of no new doctrine that has been revealed. Prin-
ciples that were revealed to the Prophet Joseph have grown
and developed more fully and clearly to the understanding;
but we have received nothing new that I know of. Yet if
we should receive something new, through the proper chan-
nels of the Church, we should be as ready and willing to
receive it as we were, or would be, to receive the same at

44 GOSPEL DOCTRINE

the hands of the Prophet Joseph himself. — Oct, C. R. } 1900,
p. 47.

When to Expect New Revelation. We have nothing
that is not in common with the Latter-day Saints. We know
nothing, and we will preach nothing to the people except
that which the Lord God has revealed, and we advise and
counsel those who are in authority, and whose duty and
business it is to teach and preach the principles of the gos-
pel to the world and to the Latter-day Saints, to confine their
teachings and their instructions to the word of God that
has been revealed. There is a great deal that has been
revealed that has not yet been lived up to, I assure you.
There is a great deal yet remaining to be learned. There is
a great deal that is yet to be taught in the spirit of instruc-
tion, and there is a great deal that has been revealed through
the Prophet Joseph and his associates that the people have
not yet received in their hearts, and have not yet become
converted to as they should. When we obey and are capa-
ble of observing the precepts of the gospel and the laws of
God and the requirements of heaven, which have already
been revealed, we will be far better off and nearer the goal
of perfection in wisdom, knowledge and power than we are
today. When that time comes, then there are other things
still greater yet to be revealed to the people of God. Until
we do our duty, however, in that which we have received,
until we are faithful over the things that are now commit-
ted into our hands, until we live our religion as we have it
now, as the Lord has given it to us, to add commandments,
to add light and intelligence to us over that which we have
already received, which we have not yet fully obeyed, would
be to add condemnation upon our heads. It is enough for
us to live in the light of present inspiration and present rev-
elation and for each individual member of the Church to
keep the commandments of the Lord and labor in the
Church as the Spirit may give him and her guidance in the

REVELATION 45

performance of duty. Every soul of us is entitled to
inspiration from God, to know what is our duty, and how
we are to do it. We have not learned it yet, not s all of us,
but we are in a fair way to learn. The Lord is still patient ;
he is long-suffering ; he is full of love and graciousness to-
wards all, and we are doing a little better all the time. I
believe we are a little more faithful in the performance of
our duties than we have been in the past ; yet there is great
room for improvement. — Oct. C. R., 1917, p. 5.

How the Lord Reveals His Purposes Concerning
the Church. And I know this, that God has organized his
Church in the earth, and I know that when he designs or
purposes to make any change in the matter of governing or
controlling or presiding over the affairs of his Church, that
he will make the change, and he will make it in such a way
that the whole people of the Church, who are doing right,
will understand and accept it. I know that the Lord will
not raise up "Tom, Dick, or Harry," here, there and every-
where, claiming to be Christ, or "one mighty and strong,"
claiming to be inspired and called to do some wonderful
thing. The Lord will not deal with men in that way; that
while the organization of the Church exists, while quorums
and councils of the Priesthood are intact in the Church, the
Lord will reveal his purposes through them, and not through
"Torn, Dick, or Harry." Put that in your little note books
now, and remember it; it is true. — Apr. C. R., 1912, p. 10.

Modern Revelation is Necessary. We are to under-
stand, then, that God does not, and will not further make
known his will to men ; that what he has said suffices ? His
will to Moses and Isaiah and John is abundant for modern
followers of Christ? The Latter-day Saints take issue with
this doctrine, and pronounce it illogical, inconsistent, and
untrue, and bear testimony to all the world that God lives
and that he reveals his will to men who believe in him and
who obey his commandments, as much in our day as at any

46 GOSPEL DOCTRINE

time in the history of nations. The canon of scripture is
not full. God has never revealed at any time that he would
cease to speak forever to men. If we are permitted to be-
lieve that'he has spoken, we must and do believe that he
continues to speak, because he is unchangeable.

His will to Abraham did not suffice for Moses, neither
did his will to Moses suffice for Isaiah. Why? Because
their different missions required different instructions; and
logically, that is also true of the prophets and people of
today. A progressive world will never discover all truth
until its inhabitants become familiar with all the knowledge
of the Perfect One. How shall men become acquainted
with the knowledge of the Father? Only as he reveals it
to them. Now if we are permitted to believe that the Lord
revealed himself to the ancients of whose deeds we read in
the Holy Scriptures, it seems to me that there is no good
reason for believing that it is not necessary that he should
reveal himself in this day to others who desirre to be guided
by his Spirit and inspiration. Every new truth which grows
into living action in the lives of men is a revelation in itself
from God, and without the revelation of additional truth,
men would not progress in this world, but, left to themselves,
would retrograde, being cut off from the light and life of
the great fountain of all intelligence, the Father of all

What is revelation but the uncovering of new truths,
by him who is the fountain of all truth ? To say that there is
no need of new revelation, is equivalent to saying that we
have no need of new truths — a ridiculous assertion.

Now, as to the usefulness of modern revelation, that
has been referred to above, in the brief treatment of its need ;
and it is no sign that revelation is useless because it is not
proper that it should be accepted in the courts. "Render
unto Caesar the things that are Caesar's, and unto God the
things that are God's." Revelation given for the personal
knowledge or guidance of any person should not be given

REVELATION 47

to the public, either in a civil or religious capacity; but be-
cause it might be (and in such cases is) considered improper
for public use, it is no sign that even such revelation is use-
less to the person for whom it is intended. It might be said
in passing, however, that the revelation which the ministers
were so troubled about, turned out to be correct and in con-
formity with the evidence, and the decision of the court and
jury.

Our testimony is that God lives, and that he speaks by
his power to men who seek him and believe in him, thus
making known his will to them in matters that pertain, not
only to his true Church, but in matters that pertain to each
individual who seeks him. — Improvement Era, Vol. 5, p.
805, 1902.

Theory and Divine Revelation. Our young people
are diligent students. They reach out after truth and knowl-
edge with commendable zeal, and in so doing they must
necessarily adopt for temporary use, many theories of men.
As long, however, as they recognize them as scaffolding
useful for research purposes, there can be no special harm
in them. It is when these theories are settled upon as basic
truth that trouble appears, and the searcher then stands in
grave danger of being led hopelessly from the right way.

There are so many demonstrated, practical, material
truths, so many spiritual certainties, with which the youth
of Zion should become familiar, that it appears a waste of
time and means, and detrimental to faith and religion to
enter too extensively into the undemonstrated theories of
men on philosophies relating to the origin of life, or the
methods adopted by an Allwise Creator in peopling the earth
with the bodies of men, birds and beasts. Let us rather turn
our abilities to. the practical analysis of the soil, the study
of the elements, the productions of the earth, the invention
of useful machinery, the social welfare of the race, and its
material amelioration ; and for the rest cultivate an abiding

48 GOSPEL DOCTRINE

faith in the revealed word of God and the saving principles
of the gospel of Jesus Christ, which give joy in this world
and in the world to come eternal life and salvation.

Philosophic theories of life have their place and use,
but it is not in the classes of the Church schools, and par-
ticularly are they out of place here or anywhere else,
when they seek to supplant the revelations of God. The
ordinary student cannot delve into these subjects deep
enough to make them of any practical use to him, and a
smattering of knowledge in this line only tends to upset his
simple faith in the gospel, which is of more value to him in
life than all the learning of the world without it.

The religion of the Latter-day Saints is not hostile to
any truth, nor to scientific search for truth. "That which is
demonstrated, we accept with joy," said the First Presidency
in their Christmas greeting to the Saints, "but vain philos-
ophy, human theory and mere speculations of men we do not
accept, nor do we adopt anything contrary to divine revela-
tion or to good common sense, but everything that tends to
right conduct, that harmonizes with sound morality and
increases faith in Deity, finds favor with us, no matter
where it may be found."

A good motto for young people to adopt, who are de-
termined to delve into philosophic theories, is to search all
things, but be careful to hold on only to that which is true.
The truth persists, but the theories of philosophers change
and are overthrown. What men use today as a scaffolding
for scientific purposes from which to reach out into the un-
known for truth, may be torn down tomorrow, having served
its purpose; but faith is an eternal principle through which
the humble believer may secure everlasting solace. It is the
only way to find God.

Science and philosophy through all the ages have under-
gone change after change. Scarcely a century has passed
but they have introduced new theories of science and phil-

REVELATION 49

osophy, that supersede the old traditions and the old faith
and the old doctrines entertained by philosophers and sci-
entists. These things may undergo continuous changes, but
the word of God is always true, is always right. The prin-
ciples of the gospel are always true, the principles of faith
in God, repentance from sin, baptism for the remission of
sins by authority' of God, and the laying on of hands for the
gift of the Holy Ghost — these principles are always true, and
are always absolutely necessary for the salvation of the chil-
dren of men, no matter who they are and where they are.
No other name under heaven is given but that of Jesus
Christ, by which you can be saved or exalted in the kingdom
of God. Not only has God declared them, not only has
Christ declared these principles, by his voice to his disciples,
from generation to generation, in the old time, but in these
latter days, they have taken up the same testimony and
declared these things to the world. They are true today as
they were then, and we must obey these things. — Improve-
ment Era, Vol. 14, p. 548.

Revelation and Legal Evidence. Recently a man
charged with the murder of another man was examined be-
fore a committing magistrate in Salt Lake City.- The father-
in-law of the murdered man, during the examination on the
part of the State, related a conversation had between him-
self and the accused soon after the commission of the crime.
During the conversation, according to newspaper report,
the father-in-law of the murdered man laid the crime at the
door of the accused. In the cross-examination the attorney
for the defendant pressed the witness as to how he knew
that the accused was guilty of the crime.- The reply, as
given in the press, was, because God had revealed" it to him.
It does not appear from the further proceedings in the case
that the testimony was excepted to or withdrawn, or that
the magistrate informed the witness that such evidence was
incompetent and could not be received. The statement

50 GOSPEL DOCTRINE

gave rise to comment in the press and has been the subject
of discourse from the pulpit. Of course, every person must
know that such evidence is not admissible in a court of law,
and if it had been in a trial before a jury it would have been
the duty of the judge to order the testimony stricken out,
and in the charge to the jury, they would have been warned
to disregard it altogether. In view of the probability that
there are those who may persist in the association of such
evidence with the religious body of which the witness is a
member, it may be proper to say, without discrediting in the
least the witness* conviction of the revelation he had re-
ceived, that no member of the Church of Jesus Christ of
Latter-day Saints should, for one moment, regard such tes-
timony as admissible in a court of law, and to make the case
perfectly clear it may be further stated that such evidence
would not be permissible even in a Church court, where
rules of evidence, though not so technical, are founded
largely upon the same principles that govern the rules of
evidence in a court of law. Any attempt, therefore, to make
it appear that such evidence is in keeping with the tenets of
the "Mormon" faith is wholly unjustified. — Juvenile In-
structor, p. 114, Feb. 15, 1902, Vol. 37.

Proper Channels for Revelation. It has sometimes
been sorrowful to see respected members of the Church, men
who should know better, allow themselves to become the
tools of seductive spirits. Such men seem, for the time at
least, to lose sight of the fact that the Lord has established
on earth the Priesthood in its fulness; and that by direct
revelation and commandment from heaven ; that he has insti-
tuted an order or government that is beyond the capacity,
and that is superior to the wisdom and learning and under-
standing of man, so far, indeed, that it seems impossible for
the human mind, unaided by the Spirit of God, to compre-
hend the beauties, powers, and character of the Holy Priest-
hood. It seems difficult for men to comprehend the work-

REVELATION 51

ings of the priesthood, its legitimate authority, its scope
and power; and yet by the light of the Spirit it is easily
comprehended, but not understanding it, men are easily de-
ceived by seductive spirits that are abroad in the world.
They are led to believe that something is wrong, and the
next thing that . transpires, they find themselves believing
that they are chosen specially to set things right. It is very
unfortunate for a man to be taken in this snare; for be it
understood by the Latter-day Saints that as long as the
servants of God are living pure lives, are honoring the
priesthood conferred upon them, and endeavoring to the best
of their knowledge to magnify their offices and callings, to
which they have been duly chosen by the voice of the peo-
ple and the priesthood and sanctioned by the approval of
God, so long as the Lord has any communication to make to
the children of men, or any instructions to impart to his
Church, he will make such communication through the le-
gally appointed channel of the priesthood; he will never go
outside of it, as long, at least, as the Church of Jesus Christ
of Latter-day Saints exists in its present form on the earth.
It is not the business of any individual to rise up as
a revelator, as a prophet, as a seer, as an inspired man,
to give revelation for the guidance of the Church, or to
assume to dictate to the presiding authorities of the
Church in any part of the world, much less in the midst
of Zion, where the organizations of the priesthood are
about perfect, where everything is complete, even to the
organization of a branch. It is the right of individuals to
be inspired and to receive manifestations of the Holy Spirit
for their personal guidance to strengthen their faith, and to
encourage them in works of righteousness, in being faithful
and observing and keeping the commandments which God
has given unto them; it is the privilege of every man and
woman to receive revelation to this end, but not further.
The moment an individual rises up assuming the right to

52 GOSPEL DOCTRINE

control and to dictate, or to sit in judgment on his brethren,
especially upon those who preside, he should be promptly
checked, or discord, division and confusion would be the
result. Every man and woman in this Church should know
better than to yield to such a spirit ; the moment that such a
feeling presents itself to them they should rebuke it, as it is
in direct antagonism to the order of the priesthood, and to
the spirit and genius of this work. We can accept nothing
as authoritative but that which comes directly through the
appointed channel, the constituted Organizations of the
priesthood, which is the channel that God has appointed
through which to make known his mind arid will to the
world.

Through Joseph, then, the Lord revealed himself to
the world, and through him he chose the first elders of the
Church — men who were honest in their hearts ; men who
he knew would receive the word, and labor in connection
with Joseph in this great, important undertaking; and all
that have been ordained to the priesthood, and all that have
been appointed to any position whatever in this Church have
received their authority and commission through this chan-
nel, appointed of God, with Joseph at the head. This is
the order, and it could not be otherwise. God will not raise
up another prophet and another people to do the work that
we have been appointed to do. He will never ignore those
who have stood firm and true from the commencement, as it
were, of this work, and who are still firm and faithful, inas-
much as they continue faithful to their trust. There is no
question in my mind of their ever proving themselves un-
faithful, as a body, for if any of them were to become un-
worthy in his sight, he would remove them out of their place
and call others from the ranks to fill their positions. And
thus his priesthood will ever be found to be composed of the
right men for the place, of men whose backs will be fitted
for the burden, men through whom he can work and regu-

REVELATION 53

late the affairs of his Church according to the counsels of his
own will. And the moment that individuals look to any other
source, that moment they throw themselves open to the se-
ductive influences of Satan, and render themselves liable to
become servants of the devil; they lose sight of the true
order through which the blessings of the priesthood are to
be enjoyed; they step outside of the pale of the Kingdom of
God, and are on dangerous ground. Whenever you see a
man rise up claiming to have received direct revelation from
the Lord to the Church, independent of the order and channel
of the priesthood, you may set him down as an imposter.
God has not called you to go out to the world to be taught,
or to receive revelations through apostates or strangers ; but
he has called and ordained you and sent you forth to teach
and lead people in the paths of righteousness and salvation.

Now, how should it be? I will tell you. In the first
place every person should know that the gospel is true, as
this is every one's privilege who is baptized and receives the
Holy Ghost. A man may be grieved in his feelings be-
cause of some difficulty between himself and President Tay-
lor, or Cannon, or myself ; he may have feelings in his heart
which lead him to think that he could not sustain us in his
faith and prayers ; but if this should be the case, what is the
course for him to pursue ? He should say in his heart, "God
has established his kingdom, and his priesthood is upon the
earth; and notwithstanding my dislike for certain men, I
know that the gospel is true, and that God is with his peo-
ple; and that if I will do my duty and keep his command-
ments, the clouds will roll by, and the mists will disappear,
the Spirit of the Lord will come more fully to my relief, and
by and by I will be able to see — if I am in error, wherein I
erred, and then I will repent of it, for I know that every
wrong thing will yet be made right." I think all men
should feel that way.

Never is there but one appointed at a time to hold the

54 GOSPEL DOCTRINE

keys of the Kingdom of God pertaining to the earth. While
Christ remained on the earth he held them ; but when he
departed, he committed them to Peter, he being the president
or chief of the apostles ; and it was his right to direct and to
receive revelation for the Church, and to give counsel to
all the brethren. After Satan and wicked men had pre-
vailed against the Church, crucified the Savior and killed the
apostles, the keys of the kingdom were taken from the earth.
John the Revelator describes it most clearly. And from that
time until Joseph Smith was called by the voice of the Al-
mighty, and ordained to hold those keys, no man held them
upon the earth that we know of. It is true the Lord did
appoint other twelve upon this continent, and his Church
flourished and prospered in this land for many years, but
the Lord declared that Peter, James and John, and the
twelve that walked with him at Jerusalem, held the presi-
dency over them. God may reveal himself to different na-
tions, and establish among them the same gospel and ordin-
ances as he did anciently, if necessity require, but if these
nations should be joined together there would be one head,
and all the rest would be subordinate. So that from the
time that the keys of this priesthood were taken from the
earth until they were received by Joseph Smith, no man
ever possessed that priesthood, nor the keys thereof, with
authority to build up the Zion of God, and prepare a church
or people for the second coming of Christ, "as a bride is
adorned for the bridegroom," unless it may have been among
the lost tribes, yet of this we have no knowledge, but if so
they would receive those keys necessary to administer in the
ordinances of the gospel for their salvation. We know not
of their existence or the condition in which they are placed.
The gospel that is given to them is suited to their needs and
conditions, and is for their salvation, not ours; and yet, it
will be the same gospel. And God will not call one from
them to give to us the priesthood, or to give to us the keys

REVELATION 55

and blessings, or to point out the organizations of the King-
dom of God, because he has established that priesthood
here, and we have it. If he has any communication to make
to us he will send his messengers to us. And in this way
he will deliver his law and give his mind and will to the
people. He will do it through the ordained channels of the
priesthood which he acknowledges and which he has estab-
lished in the earth. He will go nowhere else to do it, neither
will he send us to them, unless they should be without the
priesthood and it becomes necessary to take the blessings of
the gospel to them, and I presume that will be the case.

When Joseph received the keys of the priesthood, he
alone on the earth held them; that is, he was the first, he
stood at the head. It was promised that he should not lose
them nor be removed out of his place, as long as he was
faithful. And when he died, President Young was chosen
by the voice of the people, and sanctioned by the voice of
God. He held the priesthood which was after the order of
the Son of God, with the keys which pertain to the presi-
dency of that priesthood upon earth. He received it from
the hands of Joseph, directly from him or by his authority ;
and he held it until his death. When he died, that mantle
fell upon John Taylor, and while he lives he will hold that
authority, inasmuch as he is faithful. So it was with Pres-
ident Brigham Young: he held it on condition of his faith-
fulness. If any man in that position should* become unfaith-
ful, God would remove him out of his place. I testify in
the name of Israel's God that he will not suffer the head of
the Church, whom he has chosen to stand at the head, to
transgress his laws and apostatize; the moment he should
take a course that would in time lead to it, God would take
him away. Why? Because to suffer a wicked man to oc-
cupy that position would be to allow, as it were, the fountain
to become corrupted, which is something he will never
permit.

56 GOSPEL DOCTRINE

The moment a man says he will not submit to the legally
constituted authority of the Church, whether it be the teach-
ers, the bishopric, the high council, his quorum, or the First
Presidency, and in his heart confirms it and carries it out,
that moment he cuts himself off from the privileges and
blessings of the priesthood and Church, and severs himself
from the people of God, for he ignores the authority that the
Lord has instituted in his Church. These are the men that
generally get crochets in their heads, that get inspiration
(from beneath), and that are often so desirous to guide the
Church, and to sit in judgment upon the priesthood. The
only safe way for us to do, as individuals, is to live so hum-
bly, so righteously and so faithfully before God that we may
possess his Spirit to that extent that we shall be able to
judge righteously, and discern between truth and error, be-
tween right and wrong; and then we shall know when a
decision is rendered against us that in ninety-nine cases
out of a hundred, we are in error, and that the decision is
right ; and although we may, at the time, not be fully able to
see and feel its justness, yet will be constrained to say that
inasmuch as there are sixteen chances against one for me to
be wrong, "I will gracefully and humbly submit." The pith
of the matter is : the Lord has established his Church, organ-
ized his priesthood, and conferred authority upon certain
individuals, councils and quorums, and it is the duty of the
people of God to live so that they shall know that these
are acceptable unto him. If we begin to cut off this one and
that one, and set their authority aside, we may just as well
at once set God aside, and say he has no right to dictate.—
Journal of Discourses, Vol. 24, pp. 187-194, 1884, Ogden,
June 21, 1883.

The Doctrine and , Covenants. I say to my brethren
that the book of Doctrine and Covenants contains some of
the most glorious principles ever revealed to the world, some
that have been revealed in greater fulness than they were

REVELATION 57

ever revealed before to the world; and this, in fulfilment of
the promises of the ancient prophets that in the latter times
the Lord would reveal things to the world that had been
kept hidden from the foundation thereof; and the Lord has
revealed them through the Prophet Joseph Smith. — Oct.
C. R., 1913, p. 9.

How to Read the Bible. That which characterizes
above all else the inspiration and divinity of the Scriptures
is the spirit in which they are written and the spiritual wealth
they convey to those who faithfully and conscientiously read
them. Our attitude, therefore, toward the Scriptures should
be in harmony with the purposes for which they were writ-
ten. They are intended to enlarge man's spiritual endow-
ments and to reveal and intensify the bond of relationship
between him and his God. The Bible, as all other books of
Holy Writ, to be appreciated must be studied by those spir-
itually inclined and who are in quest of spiritual truths. —
Juvenile Instructor, Vol. 47, p. 204, April, 1912.

Persecution Follows Revelation. I do not believe
there ever was a people who were guided by revelation, or
acknowledged of the Lord as his people, that were not hated
and persecuted by the wicked and the corrupt, and perhaps
no people were ever more persecuted than this people would
be if it were in the power of the enemy today to persecute
us as it was in the power of Nero and the Romans to per-
secute the Saints in their day. There never was a time
when it was more fixed and determined in the heart of the
wicked to fight against and destroy the kingdom from the
earth than now, and their failure will be due only to the
impossibility of the task they have undertaken. And this is
an evidence to every one that God's priesthood is here, that
many of the Saints are magnifying their callings and honor-
ing the priesthood and also the Lord, both with their lives
and with their substance, which are his. — Deseret Weekly
News, Vol. 24, p. 708, 1875.

CHAPTER IV
Free Agency

The Latter-day Saints a Free People. We will now
present before the conference the names of the general au-
thorities of the Church, with the earnest desire that all the
members of the Church present, who by reason of their
good standing before the Lord are entitled to the privilege,
will express their will according to the God-given agency
that every man in the world enjoys, and which is not les-
sened, but rather increased, in all those who have made cove-
nant with God by sacrifice and through obedience to the
principles of the gospel. The freedom of the Latter-day
Saints has never been curtailed nor lessened one whit by
their becoming members of the Church of Christ. Rather
has it been enlarged. There are no freer people upon the
face of the earth today than the Latter-day Saints. They
are bound to the Church by no ties or strings, but their
own conviction of the truth. And whenever a man makes up
his mind that he has had enough of what is called "Mor-
monism," all he has to do is to make it known, and we will
sever the bond that unites him with the body and let him
go his own way, only bearing toward him the feeling of
sympathy and of true brotherly kindness, and wishing him
still the mercies of God. We will cry, ''Father, have mercy
upon him," because he knows not what he is doing. For
when a man denies the truth, when he departs from the right
way, when he rejects the right of God to counsel in the
affairs of men, he is either ignorant or wilfully wicked, and
it only excites our pity for him. As the Savior cried upon
the cross, so we will cry in the same spirit, Father, forgive
him ; have mercy upon him ; for he knows not what he does.

FREE AGENCY 59

Therefore, we expect only those to vote at this time who are
members of the Church in good standing ; but all such we do
expect to vote, according to their own free will, whether it
be yea or nay. However, we wish it distinctly understood
that no questions upon these matters will be discussed in
this conference ; for this is not the place to discuss questions
of difference or of feeling that we may possess one towards
another. Still we .can manifest our approval or our disap-
proval by the uplifted hand; and if there are any disap*
provals, we will have them heard and adjusted later on, but
not here.— Oct. C. R. } 1903, p. 84.

The Use of Freedom and Human Judgment. I
think that in the realms of liberty, and the exercise of hu-
man judgment, all men should exercise extreme caution,
that they do not change or abolish those things which God
has willed and has inspired to be done. It has been in this
realm of freedom, and the exercise of human judgment that
most of the evils that have occurred in the world have been
done — the martyrdom of Saints, the crucifixion of the Son
of God himself, and much of the apostasy and departure
from the work of righteousness, and from the laws of God,
have occurred in this realm of freedom and the exercise of
human judgment. God in his boundless wisdom and gra-
cious mercy has provided means, and has shown the way to
the children of men whereby, even in the realms of free-
dom and the exercise of their own judgment, they may in-
dividually go unto God in faith and prayer, and find out
what should guide and direct their human judgment and
wisdom ; and I do not want the Latter-day Saints to forget
that this is their privilege- I would rather that they should
seek God for a counselor and guide, than to follow the wild
harangues of political leaders, or leaders of any other cult.
—Oct. C. R., 1912, p. 41-42.

Latter-day Saints Should Exercise Free Agency.
We desire that the Latter-day Saints will exercise the liberty

60 GOSPEL DOCTRINE

wherewith they have been made free by the gospel of Jesus
Christ; for they are entitled to know the right from the
wrong, to see the truth and draw the line between it and
error; and it is their privilege to judge for themselves and to
act upon their own free agency with regard to their choice
as to sustaining or otherwise those who should exercise
the presiding functions among them. We desire the Latter-
day Saints at this conference to exercise, their prerogative,
which is, to vote as the Spirit of the Lord prompts them
on the measures and the men that may be presented unto
them— Apr. C. R., 1904, p. 73.

How to Obtain Blessings of God. There are bless-
ings which pertain to the gospel of Jesus Christ and to the
world to come, which cannot be secured by personal influ-
ence, nor be bought with money, and which no man by his
own intelligence or wisdom can obtain except through com-*
pliance with certain ordinances, laws and commandments
which have been given. And it is well, in my judgment, for
the Latter-day Saints to continue to bear in mind that the
inestimable blessings of the gospel have been bestowed upon
them through their faith, that a remission of sins has been
obtained by baptism and repentance, and that it is only
through continuing faithful that they can retain the gifts
and blessings which pertain to eternal life. There are many
blessings, however, which are common to the human fam-
ily, which all enjoy, without regard to their moral status or
religious convictions. God has given to all men an agency,'
and has granted to us the privilege to serve him or serve
him not, to do that which is right or that which is wrong,
and this privilege is given to all men irrespective of creed,
color or condition. The wealthy have this agency, the poor
have this agency, and no man is deprived by any power of
God from exercising it in the fullest and in the freest man-
ner. This agency has been given to all. This is a blessing
that God has bestowed upon the world of mankind, upon all

FREE AGENCY 61

his children alike. But he will hold us strictly to an account
for the use that we make of this agency, and as it was said
of Cain, so it will be said of us: "If thou doest well, shalt
thou not be accepted? And if thou doest not well, sin lieth
at the door." There are, however, certain blessings which
God bestows upon the children of men only upon the condi-
tion of the rightful exercise of this agency. For instance,
no man can obtain a remission of his sins but by repentance
and baptism by one having authority. If we would be free
from sin, from its effects, from its power, we must obey this
law which God has revealed, or we never can obtain a remis-
sion of sins. Therefore, while God has bestowed upon all
men, irrespective of condition, this agency to choose good
or evil, he has not and will not bestow upon the children of
men a remission of sins but by their obedience to law. There-
fore, the whole world lies in sin and is under condemnation,
inasmuch as light has come unto the world and men will not
place themselves in a proper position before the Lord. And
this condemnation rests with tenfold force upon all who have
yielded obedience to this law, and have once received a re-
mission of their sins, but have returned unto sin, and have
forgotten or disregarded the covenants they made in the
waters of baptism. All men are blessed with the strength
of their bodies, with the use of their minds, and with the right
to exercise the faculties with which they are endowed in a
way that seemeth good to their sight, without regard to re-
ligion. But God has not and will not suffer the gift of the
Holy Ghost to be bestowed upon any man or woman, except
through compliance with the laws of God. Therefore, no
man can obtain a remission of sins ; no man can obtain the
gift of the Holy Ghost; no man can obtain the revelations
of God; no man can obtain the priesthood, and the rights,
powers and privileges thereof; no man can become an heir
of God and a joint heir with Jesus Christ, except through
compliance with the requirements of heaven. These are uni-

62 GOSPEL DOCTRINE

versal blessings, they are great and inestimable privileges
which pertain to the gospel and to the plan of life and salva-
tion, which are open and free to all on certain conditions, but
which no persons beneath the heavens can enjoy, but
through walking in the channel that God has marked out by
which they can obtain them. And these privileges and
blessings when obtained may be forfeited, and perhaps lost
for all eternity, unless we continue steadfast in the course
that is marked out for us to pursue. It is well, in my judg-
ment, that the Latter-day Saints do not lose sight of the
great privilege that has been bestowed upon them. No man
can become a citizen of the kingdom of God but by enter-
ing in at the door; there are thousands and tens of thou-
sands, aye, millions of people who will never become citizens
of the Kingdom of God in this world, because they: fail to
exercise the agency and the power that have been given to
them, in the right direction. Nevertheless, they enjoy many
of the blessings that are bestowed upon the world in com-
mon. The sun shines upon the evil and the good; but the
Holy Ghost descends only upon the righteous, and upon
those who are forgiven of their sins. The rain descends
upon the evil and upon the good ; but the rights of the
priesthood are conferred, and the doctrine of the priesthood
distils as the dews of heaven upon the souls of those only
who receive it in God's own appointed way. The favor of
heaven, the acknowledgment of the Almighty of his children
upon the earth as his sons and his daughters, can only be
secured through obedience to the laws which he has revealed.
Riches, or the wealth of the world, cannot purchase these
things. Simon Magus desired to purchase the power to cast
out devils with money, but Peter said unto him, "Thy money
perish with thee." These blessings, powers and privileges
are not to be purchased except by the atonement of Christ;
they are not to be obtained by personal influence, wealth,
position or power, or in any other way except the direct way

FREE AGENCY 63

in which God has decreed that they should be obtained. Now,
so long as the Latter-day Saints are content to obey the com-
mandments of God, to appreciate the privileges and bless-
ings which they enjoy in the Church, and will use their
time, their substance, in honor to the name of God, to build
up Zion, and to establish truth and righteousness in the
earth, so long our heavenly Father is bound by his oath and
covenant to protect them from every opposing foe, and to
help them to overcome every obstacle that can possibly be
arrayed against them, or thrown in their pathway; but the
moment a community begins to be wrapt up in themselves,
becomes selfish, becomes engrossed in the temporalities of
life, and put their faith in riches, that moment the power of
God begins to withdraw from them, and if they repent not
the Holy Spirit will depart from them entirely, and they
will be left to themselves. That which was given them will
be taken away, they will lose that which they had, for they
will not be worthy of it. God' is just, as well as merciful,
and we need not expect favors at the hand of the Almighty
except as we merit them, at least in the honest desires of our
hearts, and the desire and intent will not always avail unless
our acts correspond. For we are engaged in a literal work,
a reality ; and we must practice as well as profess. We must
be what God requires us to be, or else we are not his people,
nor the Zion which he designs to gather together and to
build up in the latter days upon the earth. — Journal of Dis-
courses, Vol. 24, 1884, pp. 173-178.

CHAPTER V

God and Man

God Has Directed His Latter-day Work. It has not
been by the wisdom of man that this people have been
directed in their course until the present ; it has been by the
wisdom of him who is above man, whose knowledge is.
greater than that of man, and whose power is above the
power of man; for it is unto God, our Father we are in-
debted for the mercies we have enjoyed and for the present
prosperous condition of the people of God throughout this
intermountain region and throughout the world. The hand
of the Lord may not be visible to all. There may be many
who cannot discern the workings of God's will in the pro-
gress and development of this great latter-day work, but
there are those who see in every hour and in every moment
of the existence of the Church, from its beginning until now,
the overruling, almighty hand of Him who sent His Only
Begotten Son to the world to become a sacrifice for the sin
of the world, that as he was lifted up so he, by reason of
his righteousness and power and the sacrifice which he has
made, might lift up unto God all the children of men who
would hearken to his voice, receive his message and obey
his law.— Apr. C. R. f 1904, p. 2.

A Personal Knowledge jof God. We are not depend-
ent for this upon the written word, nor upon the knowl-
edge possessed by the ancient prophets and apostles. We
depend only upon God as he reveals himself today and ad-
ministers unto men by the power of his Holy Spirit. And
all men in the world, not only the Latter-day Saints, but
those who have never embraced the gospel, have the same
privilege that we have, if they will take the course which God

GOD AND MAN 6.5

has marked out. It is their privilege to come to the knowl-
edge of this truth and to understand these things for them-
selves. We have derived this knowledge from the Lord,
not from man. Man cannot give this knowledge. I may
tell you what I know, but that is not knowledge to you. If
I have learned something through prayer, supplication, and
perseverance in seeking to know the truth, and I tell it to
you, it will not be knowledge unto you. I can tell you how
you can obtain it, but I cannot give it to you. If we receive
this knowledge, it must come from the Lord. He can touch
your understandings and your spirits, so that you shall com-
prehend perfectly and not be mistaken. But I cannot <lo
that. You can obtain this knowledge through repentance,
humility, and seeking the Lord with full purpose of heart
until you find him. He is not afar off. It is not difficult
to approach him, if we will only do it with a broken heart
and a contrite spirit, as did Nephi of old. This was the way
in which Joseph Smith, in his boyhood, approached him. He
went into the woods, knelt down, and in humility he sought
earnestly to know which church was acceptable to God. He
received an answer to his prayer, which he offered from the
depths of his heart, and he received it in a way that he did
not expect.— Oct. C. R. } 1899, p. 71.

God Speaks to the Honest in Heart. Everywhere
the Spirit of the Lord whispers to the honest in heart who are
faithful, and gives to them the assurance that his hand is
stretched out continually over his people; that as, in the
past, he has preserved them and delivered them out of the
hands of their enemies, so in the future he will continue to
preserve and deliver them, and he will make the wrath of
the wicked to praise him and to accomplish the more speed-
ily his purposes. We have every evidence to convince us
that the work of the Lord is a reality, a living, active, pro-
gressive work in the earth. — Oct. C. R., 1905, p. 5.

God Constantly Mindful of Us. I desire to express

66 GOSPEL DOCTRINE

to you, my brethren and sisters who are here today, my firm
and fixed conviction that God, the eternal Father, is con-
stantly mindful of you. He is mindful of his people through-
out all this land, and he will reward you according to your
faithfulness in observing the laws of righteousness and of
truth. No man need fear in his heart when he is conscious
of having lived up to the principles of truth and righteous-
ness as God has required it at his hands, according to his
best knowledge and understanding. — Apr. C. R., 1904, p. 2.

God's Will to Exalt Men. We believe that God's
will is to exalt men; that the liberty that comes through
obedience to the gospel of Jesus Christ is the greatest meas-
ure of liberty that can come to man. There is no liberty
that men enjoy or pretend to enjoy in the world that is not
founded in the will and in the law of God, and that does not
have truth for its underlying principle and foundation. It
is error that makes bondsmen. It is untruth that degrades
mankind. It is error and the lack of knowledge of God's
laws and God's will that leaves men in the world on a par
with the brute creation; for they have no higher instincts,
no higher principle, no higher incentive, no higher aspira-
tion, than the brute world, if they have not some inspiration
that comes from a higher source than man himself. — Apr.
C. R., 1904, pi 4.

God's Right to Rule in the World. I believe in
God's law. I believe that it is his right to rule in the world.
I believe that no man has or should have any valid objec-
tion in his mind to the government of God, and the rule of
Jesus Christ, in the earth. Let us suppose, for a moment,
that Christ were here and that he was bearing rule in the
world. Who would come under his condemnation? Who
would be subject to his chastening word? Who would be in
disharmony or unfellowship with God? Would the righteous
man? Would the virtuous man? The pure and virtuous
woman? The pure and the honest in heart? The upright?

GOD AND MAN 67

The straightforward? Those who do the will of heaven?
Would they be in rebellion to Christ's rule, if he were to
come here to rule ? No. They would welcome the rule and
reign of Jesus Christ in the earth. They would welcome his
law and acknowledge his sovereignty, they would hasten to
rally to his standard and to uphold the purpose and the per-
fection of his laws and of his righteousness. Who would
then be recreant to the rule of Christ? The whoremonger,
the adulterer, the liar, the sorcerer, he who bears false wit-
ness against his neighbor, he who seeks to take advantage
of his brother, and who would overcome and destroy him
for his own worldly gain or profit; the murderer, the de-
spiser of that which is good, the unbeliever in the eternities
that lie before us, the atheist, perhaps, although I think that
he would not be so far from Christ as some who profess to
be teachers of his doctrines and advocates of his laws. It
would be the rebellious, the wicked, those who would op-
press their neighbors and enslave them if they could. Such
as these would be the people who would not welcome the
reign of Jesus Christ. Are there any who profess to be
Latter-day Saints in this class, and would fear to have Christ
reign and rule ? — Apr. C. R. } 1904, p. 4.

The Lesson in Natural Calamities. There are, in the
great world of mankind, much social and civil unrighteous-
ness, religious unfaithfulness, and great insensibility to the.
majesty, power, and purpose of our eternal Father and God.
In order, therefore, that he may bring the sense of himself
and his purposes home to the minds of men, his intervention
and interposition in nature and in men's affairs, are de-
manded. His aims will be accomplished even if men must
be overwhelmed with the convulsions of nature to bring
them to an understanding and a realization of his designs.
As long as conditions remain as they are in the world, none
is exempt from these visitations.

The Latter-day Saints, though they themselves tremble

68 GOSPEL DOCTRINE

because of their own wickedness and sins, believe that great
judgments are coming upon the world because of iniquity;
they firmly believe in the statements of the Holy Scriptures,
that calamities will befall the nations as signs of the coming
of Christ to judgment. They believe that God rules in the
fire, the earthquake, the tidal wave, the volcanic eruption,
and the storm. Him they recognize as the Master and
Ruler of nature and her laws, and freely acknowledge his
hand in all things. We believe that his judgments are
poured out to bring mankind to a sense of his power and his
purposes, that they may repent of their sins and prepare
themselves for the second coming of Christ to reign in
righteousness upon the earth.

We firmly believe that Zion — which is the pure in heart
— shall escape, if she observes to do all things whatsoever
God has commanded; but, in the opposite event, even Zion
shall be visited "with sore affliction, with pestilence, with
plague, with sword, with vengeance, and with devouring
fire" (Doctrine and Covenants 97:26). All this that her
people may be taught to walk in the light of truth and in the
way of the God of their salvation.

We believe that these severe," natural calamities are
visited upon men by the Lord for the good of his children,
to quicken their devotion to others, and to bring out their
better natures, that they may love and serve him. We be-
lieve, further, that they are the heralds and tokens of his
final judgment, and the schoolmasters to teach the people to
prepare themselves by righteous living for the coming of
the Savior to reign upon the earth, when every knee shall
bow and every tongue confess that Jesus is the Christ.

If these lessons are impressed upon us and upon the
people of our country, the anguish, and the loss of life and
toil, sad, great and horrifying as they were, will not have
been endured in vain. — Improvement Era, Vol. 9, 1905-6, pp.
651-654.

GOD AND MAN 69

Extent of God's Power. I do not believe in the doc-
trine held by some that God is only a spirit and that he is
of such a nature that he fills the immensity of space, and is
everywhere present in person, or without person, for I can
not conceive it possible that God could be a person, if he
filled the immensity of space and was everywhere present
at the same time. It is unreasonable, a physical, a theolog-
ical inconsistency, to imagine that even God the eternal
Father would be in two places, as an individual, at the same
moment. It is impossible. But his power extends through-
out the immensity of space. His power extends to all his
creations, and his knowledge comprehends them all, and
he governs them all and he knows all. — Apr. C. R., 1916, p. 4.
Beware of Limiting God. Beware of -men who come
to you with heresies of this kind, who would make you to
think or feel that the Lord Almighty, who made heaven
and earth and- created all things, is limited in his dominion
over earthly things to the capacities of mortal men. — Apr.
C. R., 1914, p. 4.

Misfortune and Evil Not Attributable to the Will
of, God. We have it enunciated in the revelations to Joseph
the Prophet, in the Book of Doctrine and Covenants, that
the Lord is greatly displeased only with those who do not
confess or acknowledge "his hand in all things, and obey not
his commandments." Many things occur in the world in
which it seems very difficult for most of us to find a solid
reason for the acknowledgment of the hand of the Lord.
I have come to the belief that the only reason I have been
able to discover by which we should acknowledge the hand
of God in some occurrences is the fact that the thing which
has occurred has been permitted of the Lord. When two
men give way to their passions, their selfishness and anger,
to contend and quarrel with each other, and this quarrel and
contention lead to physical strife and violence between them,
it has been difficult for me to discover the hand of the Lord

70 GOSPEL DOCTRINE

in that transaction; other than that the men who thus dis-
agree, quarrel and contend with each other, have received
from God the freedom of their own agency to exercise their
own intelligence, to judge between the right and the wrong
for themselves, and to act according to their own desire.
The Lord did not design or purpose that these two men
should quarrel, or give way to their anger to such an extent
that it would lead to violence between them and, perhaps, to
bloodshed. God has never designed such a thing as that,
nor can we charge such things to the Almighty. People
become sick, suffer pain, sorrow and anguish. They linger
for months, and perhaps for years, in feebleness of body
and of mind. The question arises in them: Why does the
Lord suffer it? Is the hand of God in that suffering? Has
God designed persons to suffer? Has he touched them with
his hand of affliction ? Has he caused the evil that has come
to them ? Too many of us are inclined to think, or lean to-
ward the feeble thought, that the illness that comes to us,
the afflictions that we suffer, the accidents that we meet with
in life, and the troubles that beset us on our way in the jour-
ney of life, are attributable either to the mercy or the dis-
pleasure of God. Sometimes we are prone to charge God
with causing our afflictions and our troubles ; but if we could
see as God sees, if we could understand as he understands,
if we could trace the effects back to the cause, and that truly,
by the spirit of correct understanding, we would unques-
tionably discover that our troubles, or suffering, or afflic-
tion is the result of our own indiscretion or lack of knowl-
edge, or of wisdom. It was not the hand of God that put
affliction and trouble upon us. The agency that he has
given to us left us to act for ourselves — to do things if we
will that are not right, that are contrary to the laws of life
and health, that are not wise or prudent — and the results
may be serious to us, because of our ignorance or of our
determination to persist in that which we desire, rather than

GOD AND MAN 71

to yield to the requirements which God makes of us. — Im-
provement Era, Vol. 20, p. 821, July, 1917.

God's Warfare. God is the greatest man of war of all,
and his Son is next unto him, and their warfare is for the
salvation of the souls of men. It would not be necessary for
them to use violence or force, nor to permit their children
to use violence nor force in order to conquer if they would
but humble themselves, and obey the truth. For, after all,
nothing will conquer, nothing will win but the truth; and
so far as the wars that are going on in the world are con-
cerned, we not only want to see peace established among the
children of men, but also justice, but above all things, truth,
that justice, peace and righteousness may be built upon this
foundation and not depend upon the covetousness, pride,
vanity, evil desire, and lust for power in men. — Oct. C. R.,
1914, p. 129.

We are in God's Image. When Brother Penrose shall
pray, he will pray unto the Father of our Lord and Savior,
Jesus Christ, in whose image and likeness we are made, or
were born into the world, and in whose likeness and image
we are, for we are God's children, and therefore must re-
semble his Son in person, and also spiritually, so far as we
will obey the principles of the gospel of eternal truth. For
we were foreordained and predestined to become conformed
to his likeness through the wise and proper use of our free
agency.— Oct. C. R., 1914, p. 8.

God's Rest. The ancient prophets speak of "entering
into God's rest ;" what does it mean ? To my mind, it means
entering into the knowledge and love of God, having faith in
his purposes and in his plans, to such an extent that we know
we are right, and that we are not hunting for something else ;
we are not disturbed by every wind of doctrine, or by the
cunning and craftiness of men who lie in wait to deceive.
We know of the doctrine that it is of God, and we do not
ask any questions of anybody about it; they are welcome to

72 GOSPEL DOCTRINE

their opinions, to their ideas and to their vagaries. The man
who has reached that degree of faith in God that all doubt
and fear have been cast from him, he has entered into
"God's rest/' and he need not fear the vagaries of men, nor
their cunning and craftiness, by which they seek to deceive
and mislead him from the truth. I pray that we may all
enter into God's rest — rest from doubt, from fear, from
apprehension of danger, rest from the religious turmoil of
the world : from the cry that is going forth, here and there —
lo, here is Christ; lo, there is Christ; lo, he is in the desert,
come ye out to meet him. The man who has found God's
rest will not be disturbed by these vagaries of men, for the
Lord has told him, and does tell us: Go not out to seek
them. Go not out to hunt them; for when Christ shall
come, he will come with the army of heaven with him in
the clouds of glory, and all eyes shall see him. We do not
need to be hunting for Christ here or Christ there, or proph-
ets here and prophets there. — Oct. C. R., 1909, p. 8.

Importance of Being Under the Influence of the
Holy Spirit. The one thing now that I desire to impress
upon the minds of my brethren of the Holy Priesthood is
that we should live so near to the Lord, be so humble in our
spirits, so tractable and pliable, under the influence of the
Holy Spirit, that we will be able to know the mind and will
of the Father concerning us as individuals and as officers in
the Church of Christ under all circumstances. And when
we live so that we can hear and understand the whisperings
of the still, small voice of the Spirit of God, let us do what-
soever that Spirit directs, without fear of the consequences.
It does not make any difference whether it meet the minds
of carpers or critics, or of the enemies of the kingdom of
God, or not. Is it agreeable to the will of the Lord? Is it
compatible with the spirit of the great latter-day work in
which we are engaged? Is the end aimed at likely to ad-
vance the Church and to strengthen it in the earth? If its

GOD AND MAN 73

trend is in that direction, let us do it, no matter what men
may say or think. — Oct. C. R., 1903, p. 86.

Holy Ghost, Holy Spirit, Comforter. The Holy
Ghost, who is a member of the Trinity in the Godhead, has
not a body of flesh and bones, like the Father and the Son,
but is personage of Spirit. (Doc and Cov. Sec. 130:22.)

The Holy Spirit, or Spirit of God, both of which terms
are sometimes used interchangeably with the Holy Ghost, is
the influence of Deity, the light of Christ, or of Truth, which
proceeds forth from the presence of God to fill the immen-
sity of space, and to quicken the understanding of men.
(Doc. and Cov. Sec. 88:6-13.)

If a man is baptized and ordained to the Holy Priest-
hood, and is called upon to perform duties which pertain to -
that priesthood, it does not follow that he must always have
the Holy Ghost in person present with him when he per-
forms his duty, but every righteous act which he may per-
form legally will be in force and effect, and will be ac-
knowledged of God, and the more of the Spirit of God he
possesses in his ministrations, the better for himself, and
those will not suffer any loss unto whom he adminis-
ters.

Therefore, the presentation or "gift" of the Holy Ghost
simply confers upon a man the right to receive at any time,
when he is worthy of it and desires it, the power and light
of truth of the Holy Ghost, although he may often be left
to his own spirit and judgment.

The Holy Ghost as a personage of Spirit can no more
be omnipresent in person than can the Father or the Son,
but by his intelligence, his knowledge, his power and influ-
ence, over and through the laws of nature, he is and can be
omnipresent throughout all the works of God. It is not the
Holy Ghost who in person lighteth every man who is born
into the world, but it is the light of Christ, the Spirit of
Truth, which proceeds from the source of intelligence, which

74 GOSPEL DOCTRINE

permeates all nature, which lighteth every man and fills the
immensity of space. You may call it the Spirit of God, you
may call it the influence of God's intelligence, you may call
it the substance of his power, no matter what it is called,
it is the spirit of intelligence that permeates the universe
and gives to the spirits of men understanding just as Job
has said. (Job 32:8; Doc. and Cov. 88:3-13.)

Every elder of the Church who has received the Holy
Ghost by the laying on of hands, by one having authority,
has power to confer that gift upon another ; it does not fol-
low that a man who has received the presentation or gift of
the Holy Ghost shall always receive the recognition and wit-
ness and presence of the Holy Ghost himself, or he may
receive all these, and yet the Holy Ghost not tarry with him,
but visit him from time to time (Doc. and Cov. Sec. 130:
23) ; and neither does it follow that a man must have the
Holy Ghost present with him when he confers the Holy
Ghost upon another, but he possesses the gift of the Holy
Ghost, and it will depend upon the worthiness of him unto
whom the gift is bestowed whether he receive the Holy
Ghost or not.

Now I repeat — the Holy Ghost is a personage of spirit,
he constitutes the third person in the Trinity, the Godhead.
The gift or presentation of the Holy Ghost is the authorita-
tive act of conferring him upon man. The Holy Ghost in
person may visit men and will visit those who are worthy and
bear witness to their spirit of God and Christ, but may not
tarry with them. The Spirit of God which emanates from
Deity may be likened to electricity, or the universal ether,
as explained in our manual, which fills the earth and the
air, and is everywhere present. It is the power of God, the
influence that he exerts throughout all his works by which
he can effect his purposes and execute his will, in consonance
with the laws of free agency which he has conferred upon
man. By means of this Spirit every man is enlightened, the

GOD AND MAN 75

wicked as well as the good, the intelligent and the ignorant,
the high and the low, each in accordance with his capacity to
receive the light ; and this Spirit or influence which emanates
from God may be said to constitute man's consciousness,
and will never cease to strive with man, until man is brought
to the possession of the higher intelligence which can only
come through faith, repentance, baptism for the remission
of sins, and the gift or the presentation of the Holy Ghost
by one having authority. — Improvement Era, Vol. 12, p. 389,
March, 1909.

God Inspires Man to Know and to Do. I am inclined
to acknowledge the hand of God in all things. If I see a
man inspired with intelligence, with extraordinary ability
and wisdom, I say to myself he is indebted to God for that
wisdom and ability ; and that, without the providence or in-
terposition of the Almighty, he would not have been what he
is. He is indebted to the Lord Almighty for his intelligence,
and for all that he has ; for the earth is the Lord's and the
fulness thereof. God originated and designed all things, and
all are his children. We are born into the world as his off-
spring; endowed with the same attributes. The children
of men have sprung from the Almighty, whether the world
is willing to acknowledge it or not. He is the Father of
our spirits. He is the originator of our earthly tabernacles.
We live and move and have our being in God our heavenly
Father. And having sprung from him with our talents, our
ability, our wisdom, we should at least be willing to ac-
knowledge his hand in all the prosperity that may attend us
in life, and give to him the honor and glory of all we accom-
plish in the flesh. We are particularly dependent upon the
Almighty for everything we possess of a worldly character.
There is not a man on the earth possessed of the wisdom
or power of himself to cause even a spear of grass to grow,
or to produce a kernel of wheat or of corn, or any fruit, veg-
etable, or any material whatever which is essential for the

76 GOSPEL DOCTRINE

sustenance, the happiness and the well-being of a human
creature in the world. It is true we can go to the earth, we
find it prepared to a certain extent, and we cultivate, plow
and plant, and we reap the harvest; but God has ordained
that the fruits of our labor shall be in subjection and in obe-
dience to certain laws which he himself controls, and which
he has kept out of the power of man. Man may boast of
having a great deal of wisdom; of having accomplished a
great deal in this nineteenth century ; but, if he did but know
it, he derives the ability by which he accomplishes these
things from God his Father, who is in heaven. He does
not possess the power in and of himself.

I read a Scripture something like this : that "there is a
spirit in man." Now, if that should stop here, there would
not be perhaps anything very remarkable about man; for
the spirit of man knoweth only the things of man, and the
things of God are discerned by the Spirit of God. But while
there is a spirit in man, it is further stated that "the inspira-
tion of the Almighty giveth them understanding." There
is not a man born into the world, but has a portion of the
Spirit of God, and it is that Spirit of God which gives to his
spirit understanding. Without this, he would be but an ani-
mal like the rest of the brute creation, without understand-
ing, without judgment, without skill, without ability, except
to eat and to drink like the brute beast. But inasmuch as
the Spirit of God giveth all men understanding, he is enlight-
ened above the brute beast. He is made in the image of God
himself, so that he can reason, reflect, pray, exercise faith;
he can use his energies for the accomplishment of the de-
sires of his heart, and inasmuch as he puts forth his efforts
in the proper direction, then he is entitled to an increased
portion of the Spirit of the Almighty to inspire him to in-
creased intelligence, to increased prosperity and happiness
in the world ; but in proportion as he prostitutes his energies
for evil, the inspiration of the Almighty is withdrawn from

GOD AND MAN 77

him, until he becomes so dark and so benighted, that so far
as his knowledge of God is concerned, he is quite as ignor-
ant as a dumb brute.

Again, where are we going? . We come here and jour-
ney in the flesh a little season, and then we pass away. Every
soul that is born into the world will die. There is not a soul
that has escaped death, except those upon whom God has
passed, by the power of his Spirit, that they should live in
the flesh until the second coming of the Son of Man : but
they will eventually have to pass through the ordeal called
death ; it may be in the twinkling of an eye, and without pain
or suffering; but they will pass through the change, because
it is an irrevocable edict of the Almighty. "In the day that
thou eatest thereof thou shalt surely die." This was the edict
of the Almighty, and it pertains to Adam — that is, all the hu-
man race — for Adam is many — and it means you and me, and
every soul that lives and that bears the image of the Father.
We shall all die. But is that the end of our being? If we
had an existence before we came here, we certainly shall
continue that existence when we leave here. The spirit will
continue to exist as it did before, with the additional advan-
tages derived from having passed through this probation. It
is absolutely necessary that we should come to the earth and
take upon us tabernacles; because if we did not have tab-
ernacles we could not be like God, nor like Jesus Christ.
God has a tabernacle of flesh and bone. He is an organized
being just as we are, who are now in the flesh. Jesus Christ
was born of his mother Mary. He had a fleshly tabernacle.
He was crucified on the cross ; and his body was raised from
the dead. He burst the bonds of the grave, and came forth
to newness of life, a living soul, a living being, a man with
a body, with parts and with spirit — the spirit and the body
becoming a living and immortal soul. You and I have to
do the same thing. We must go through the same ordeal
in order to attain to the glory and exaltation which God de-

78 GOSPEL DOCTRINE

signed we should enjoy with him in the eternal worlds. In
other words, we must become like him; peradventure to sit
upon thrones, to have dominion, power, and eternal increase.
God designed this in the beginning. We are the children
of God. He is an eternal being, without beginning of days
or end of years. He always was, he is, he always will be.
We are precisely in the same condition and under the same
circumstances that God our heavenly Father was when he
was passing through this, or a similar ordeal. We are des-
tined to come forth out of the grave as Jesus did, and to ob-
tain immortal bodies as he did— that is, that our tabernacles
are to become immortal as his became immortal, that the
spirit and the body may be joined together and become one
living being, indivisible, inseparable, eternal. This is the ob-
ject of our existence in the world; and we can only attain
to these things through obedience to certain principles,
through walking in certain channels, through obtaining cer-
tain information, certain intelligence from God, without
which no man can accomplish his work or fulfil the mission
he has come upon the earth to fulfil. These principles are
the principles of the gospel of eternal truth, the principles
of faith, repentance, and baptism for the remission of sins,
the principle of obedience to God the eternal Father; for
obedience is one of the first principles or laws of heaven.
Without obedience, there can be no order, no government,
no union, no plan or purpose, carried out. And that obedi-
ence must be voluntary; it must not be forced, there must
be no coercion. Men must not be constrained against their
will to obey the will of God ; they must obey it because they
know it to be right, because they desire to do it, and be-
cause it is their pleasure to do it. God delights in the
willing heart.

I am looking forward to the time when I shall have
passed away from this stage of existence, that I shall be per-
mitted to enjoy more fully every gift and blessing that has

GOD AND MAN 79

contributed to my happiness in this world; everything. I
do not believe that there is one thing that was designed or
intended to give me joy or make me happy, that I shall be
denied hereafter, provided I continue faithful ; otherwise my
joy cannot be full. I am not now speaking of that happiness
or pleasure that is derived from sin ; I refer to the happi-
ness experienced in seeking to do the will of God on earth
as it is done in heaven. We expect to have our wives and
husbands in eternity. We expect our children will acknowl-
edge us as their fathers and mothers in eternity. I expect
this; I look for nothing else. Without it, I could not be
happy. The thought or belief that I should be denied this
privilege hereafter would make me miserable from this
moment. I never could be happy again without the hope
that I shall enjoy the society of my wives and children in
eternity. If I had not this hope, I should be of all men
most unhappy, for "if in this life only we have hope in
Christ, we are of all men most miserable." All who have
tasted of the influence of the Spirit of God, and have had
awakened within them a hope of eternal life, cannot be
happy unless they continue to drink of that fountain until
they are satisfied, and it is the only fountain at which they
can drink and be satisfied. — Journal of Discourses, Vol. 25,
1884, pp. 51-60. •

Trust in God. The need of one's having a keen knowl-
edge of the truth is paramount. So also is it that every
Latter-day Saint should have a deep-rooted conviction of
the justice of God, and an implicit confidence and faith in
his being and mercy. To rightfully understand the gospel
and to be able to keep his commandments such knowledge
is absolutely necessary. Let each person ask himself if in
his soul there is a sharp and immovable conviction of these
facts. Could anything that might occur to you, or that
might take place in the Church, or with her officers or
authorities, change your faith in the purposes, and in the

80 GOSPEL DOCTRINE

absolute justice and mercy, of the Lord, or in the saving
power of his gospel, the message of his salvation? If so,
your faith is not deep-rooted, and there is strong need of
your becoming convinced. * * *'

No person can realize the fulness of the blessings of
God, unless he can approach, in some degree, at least, the
standard of faith in God's justice, exemplified in the exam-
ples quoted. He must have founded in his own soul belief
and confidence in the justice and mercy of God. It must
be individual, no man can act for another. Lessons of this
class need be taught and held up before the youth of Zion,
to bring forcibly to their minds the truth which alone will
make them free and able to stand firm in the faith. Let
them, as they are called together in their assemblies, present
themselves before God, and be reminded of his gracious
benefits, in bringing forth the Book of Mormon, in the
scenes of Kirtland, in Zion, in Nauvoo, in the trying days of
the exodus, and in the wilderness. This that they might
count the mercies of God in his promises, and behold how
past affliction and sore trial have been turned to the well-
being of his people; and so renew their covenants, filled
with a deep-rooted, immovable conviction of the goodness
and mercy of the Lord. Each individual must learn this
lesson, it must be impressed upon his soul, so deep, and be
so well-founded that nothing can separate him from a knowl-
edge of the love of God, though death and hell stand in the
way.

God is good ; his promises never fail ; to trust implicitly
his goodness and mercy is a correct principle. Let us, there-
fore, put our trust in him. — Improvement Era, Vol. 7, p. 53,
Nov., 1904.

I Know that My Redeemer Lives. It is by the power
of God that all things are made that have been made. It is
by the power of Christ that all things are governed and kept
in place that are governed and kept in place in the universe.

GOD AND MAN 81

It is the power which proceeds from the presence of the Son
of God throughout all the works of his hands, that giveth
light, energy, understanding, knowledge, and a degree of
intelligence to all the children of men, strictly in accordance
with the words in the Book of Job: "There is a spirit in
man; and the inspiration of the Almighty giveth them un-
derstanding." It is this inspiration from God, proceeding
throughout all his creations, that enlighteneth the children
of men; and it is nothing more nor less than the spirit of
Christ, that enlighteneth the mind, that quickeneth the un-
derstanding, and that prompteth the children of men to do
that which is good and to eschew that which is evil; which
quickens the conscience of man and gives him intelligence
to judge between good and evil, light and darkness, right
and wrong.

But the Holy Ghost, who bears record of the Father and
the Son, who takes of the things of the Father and shows
them unto men, who testifies of Jesus Christ, and of the ever-
living God, the Father of Jesus Christ, and who bears wit-
ness of the truth — this Spirit, this Intelligence, is not given
unto all men until they repent of their sins and come into
a state of worthiness before the Lord. Then they receive
the gift of the Holy Ghost by the laying on of the
hands of those who are authorized of God to bestow his
blessings upon the heads of the children of men. The Spirit
spoken of in that which I have read is that Spirit which will
not cease to strive with the children of men until they are
brought to the possession of the greater light and intelli-
gence. Though a man may commit all manner of sin and
blasphemy, if he has not received the testimony of the Holy
Ghost, he may be forgiven by repenting of his sins, humbling
himself before the Lord, and obeying in sincerity the com-
mandments of God. As it is stated here, ''Every soul who
forsaketh his sins and cometh unto me, and calleth on my
name, and obeyeth my voice, and keepeth my commandments,

82 GOSPEL DOCTRINE

shall see my face and know that I am." He shall be for-
given, and receive of the greater light ; he will enter into a
solemn covenant with God, into a compact with the Al-
mighty, through the Only Begotten Son, whereby he be-
comes a son of God, an heir of God, and a joint heir with
Jesus Christ. Then, if he shall sin against the light and
knowledge he has received, the light that was within him
shall become darkness, and oh, how great will be that dark-
ness ! Then, and not till then, will this Spirit of Christ that
lighteth every man that cometh into the world cease to strive
with him, and he shall be left to his own destruction.

The question is often asked, Is there any difference be-
tween the Spirit of the Lord and the Holy Ghost? The
terms are frequently used synonymously. We often say the
Spirit of God when we mean the Holy Ghost; we likewise
say the Holy Ghost when we mean the Spirit of God. The
Holy Ghost is a personage in the Godhead, and is not that
which lighteth every man that cometh into the world. It is
the Spirit of God which proceeds through Christ to the
world, that enlightens every man that comes into the world,
and that strives with the children of men, and will continue
to strive with them, until it brings them to a knowledge of
the truth and the possession of the greater light and testi-
mony of the Holy Ghost. If, however, he receive that
greater light, and then sin against it, the Spirit of God will
cease to strive with him, and the Holy Ghost will wholly
depart from him. Then will he persecute the truth; then
will he seek the blood of the innocent ; then will he not scru-
ple at the commission of any crime, except so far as he may
fear the penalties of the law, in consequence of the crime,
upon himself.

"And that I am in the Father, and the Father in me,
and the Father and I are one." I do not apprehend that
any intelligent person will construe these words to mean that
Jesus and his Father are one person, but merely that they

GOD AND MAN 83

are one in knowledge, in truth, in wisdom, in understanding,
and in purpose; just as the Lord Jesus himself admonished
his disciples to be one with him, and to be in him, that he
might be in them. It is in this sense that I understand this
language, and not as it is construed by some people, that
Christ and his Father are one person. I declare to you that
they are not one person, but that they are two persons, two
bodies, separate and apart, and as distinct as are any father
and son within the sound of my voice. Yet, Jesus is the
Father of this world, because it was by him that the world
was made.

Even Christ himself was not perfect at first; he re-
ceived not a fulness at first, but he received grace for grace,
and he continued to receive more and more until he re-
ceived a fulness. Is not this to be so with the children of
men ? Is any man perfect ? Has any man received a fulness
at once ? Have we reached a point wherein we may receive
the fulness of God, of his glory, and his intelligence ? No ;
and yet, if Jesus, the Son of God, and the Father of the
heavens and the earth in which we dwell, received not a
fulness at the first, but increased in faith, knowledge, under-
standing and grace until he received a fulness, is it not pos-
sible for all men who are born of women to receive little
by little, line upon line, precept upon precept, until they shall
receive a fulness, as he has received a fulness, and be ex-
alted with him in the presence of the Father ?

The spirit without the body is not perfect, and the body
without the spirit is dead. Man was ordained in the begin-
ning to become like Jesus Christ, to become conformed unto
his image. As Jesus was born of woman, lived and grew
to manhood, was put to death and raised from the dead to
immortality and eternal life, so it was decreed in the begin-
ning that man should be, and will be, through the atone-
ment of Jesus, in spite of himself, resurrected from the
dead. Death came upon us without the exercise of our

84 GOSPEL DOCTRINE

agency; we had no hand in bringing it originally upon our-
selves; it came because of the transgression of our first
parents. Therefore, man, who had no hand in bringing
death upon himself, shall have no hand in bringing again
life unto himself; for as he dies in consequence of the sin
of Adam, so shall he live again, whether he will or not, by
the righteousness of Jesus Christ, and the power of his res-
urrection. Every man that dies shall live again, and shall
stand before the bar of God, to be judged according to his
works, whether they be good or evil. It is then that all will
have to give an account for their stewardship in this mortal
life.

% Now, my brethren and sisters, I know that my Re-
deemer lives. I feel it in every fiber of my being. I am just
as satisfied of it as I am of my own existence. I cannot feel
more sure of my own being than I do that my Redeemer
lives, and that my God lives, the Father of my Savior. I
feel it in my soul ; I am converted to it in my whole being.
I bear testimony to you that this is the doctrine of Christ,
the gospel of Jesus, which is the power of God unto salva-
tion. It is "Mormonism." — Sermon in Tabernacle, Salt
Lake City, March 16, 1902.

Our Personal Responsibility. If there is one prin-
ciple of the gospel of Jesus Christ that goes directly to the
very foundation of justice and righteousness, it is that great
and glorious and God-like principle that every man will have
to render an account for that which he does, and every man
will be rewarded for his works, whether they be good or
evil. — Improvement Era, Vol. 21, p. 104.

The Church a Democratic Institution. The
Church of Jesus Christ of Latter-day Saints is the most
democratic institution in the world. — Improvement Era,
Vol. 21, p. 100.

How to Secure God's Blessings. If we desire a con-
tinuation of the blessings of the Lord, we must do his will

GOD AND MAN 85

and obey the laws on which his blessings are predicated.
There is no other way to obtain his blessings.— Improvement
Era, Vol. 21, p. 99, December, 1917.

Jesus is the Son. Jesus Christ is not the Father of
the spirits who have taken or yet shall take bodies upon this
earth, for he is one of them. He is the Son, as they are
sons or daughters of Elohim. So far as the stages of eternal
progression and attainment have been made known through
divine revelation, we are to understand that only resurrected
and glorified beings can become parents of spirit offspring.
Only such exalted souls have reached maturity in the ap-
pointed course of eternal life; and the spirits born to them
in the eternal worlds will pass in due sequence through the
several stages or estates by which the glorified parents have
attained exaltation. — Improvement Era, Vol. 19, p. 942.

Jehovah, the Firstborn. Among the spirit children
of Elohim, the first-born was and is Jehovah, or Jesus Christ,
to whom all others are juniors. — Improvement Era, Vol.
19, p. 940.

Nothing Temporal with God. We ought to be
united in all things temporal as well as spiritual. With
God all things are spiritual. There is nothing temporal with
him at all, and there ought to be no distinction with us in
regard to these matters. Our earthly or temporal existence
is merely a continuance of that which is spiritual. Every
step we take in the great journey of life, the great journey
of eternity, is a step in advance or in retrogression. We are
here in mortality, it is true ; but we are ahead of that condi-
tion we occupied before we came here and took upon us mor-.
tality. We are a step in advance of our former state. What
is the body without the spirit? It is lifeless clay. What is
it that affects this lifeless clay? It is the spirit, it is the im-
mortal part, the eternal being, that existed before it came
here, that exists within us, and that will continue to exist,
and that by and by will redeem these tabernacles and bring

86 GOSPEL DOCTRINE

them forth out of the graves. This whole mission of ours
is spiritual. The work we have to do here, although we
call it temporal, pertains alike to our spiritual and our tem-
poral salvation. And the Lord has just as much right to dic-
tate, to counsel, to direct and guide us in the manipulation
and management of our temporal affairs, as we call them,
as he has to say one word in relation to our spiritual affairs.
So far as he is concerned there is no difference in this regard.
He looks upon us as immortal beings. Our bodies are de-
signed to become eternal and spiritual. God is spiritual him-
self, although he has a body of flesh and bone as Christ has.
Yet he is spiritual, and those who worship him must do so in
spirit and in truth. And when you come to separate the spir-
itual from the temporal, see that you do not make a mistake.
—Descret Weekly News, Vol. 23, July 16, 1884, p. 466.

The Important Consideration. The important con-
sideration is not how long we can live, but how well we can
learn the lessons of life, and discharge our duties and obli-
gations to God and to each other. One of the main pur-
poses of our existence is that we might conform to the image
and likeness of Him who sojourned in the flesh without
blemish — immaculate, pure, and spotless ! Christ" came not
only to atone for the sins of the world, but to set an exam-
ple before all men, and to establish the standard of God's
perfection, of God's law, and of obedience to the Father. —
Improvement Era, Vol. 21, 1917, p. 104.

CHAPTER VI

The Purpose and the Mission of the Church

The Kingdom of God Defined. What I mean by the
kingdom of God is the organization of the Church of Jesus
Christ of Latter-day Saints, over which the son of God pre-
sides, and not man. That is what I mean. I mean the
kingdom of which Christ is the King and not man. If any
man object to Christ, the Son of God, being King of Israel,
let him object, and" go to hell just as quick as he please. —
Oct. C. R. 3 1906, p. 9.

"Mormonism" Defined. I desire to say that "Mor-
monism," as it is called, is still, as always, nothing more and
nothing less than the power of God unto salvation, unto
every soul that will receive it honestly and will obey it. 1
say to you, my brethren, sisters and friends, that all Latter-
day Saints, wherever you find them, provided they are true
to their name, to their calling and to their understanding of
the gospel, are people who stand for truth and for honor,
for virtue and for purity of life, for honesty in business
and in religion; people who stand for God and for his
righteousness,, for God's truth and his work in the earth,
which aims for the salvation of the children of men, for their
salvation from the evils of the world, from the pernicious
habits of wicked men and from all those things that degrade,
dishonor or destroy; or tend to lessen the vitality and life,
the honor and godliness among the people of the earth. —
Apr. C. R., 1910, p. 5.

The Mission of the Church. Our mission has been
to save men. We have been laboring all these eighty-odd
years of the Church to bring men to a knowledge of the
gospel of Jesus Christ, to bring them to repentance, to obe-

88 GOSPEL DOCTRINE

dience to the requirements of God's law. We have been
striving to save men from error, to persuade them to turn
away from evil and to learn to do good. Now if our en-
emies will only charge us with doing this, all right; and if
they wish to oppose us for doing this, that is their business ;
but when they charge us with doing that which we have not
done, believing that which we do not believe, practicing that
which we have never practiced, then I pity them. I pity
them because they are doing it in ignorance, or because they
are wilfully disposed to misrepresent the truth. — Apr. C. R.,
1912, pp. 3, 4.

The Plan of Life Restored. It is the plan of life
that the Almighty has restored to man in the latter days
for the salvation of the souls of men, not only in the world
to come, but in our present life, for the Lord has instituted
his work that his people may enjoy the blessings of this life
to the utmost; that they should be saved in this present. life,
as well as in the life to come, that they should lay the found-
ation here for immunity from sin and all its effects' and
consequences, that they may obtain an inheritance in the
kingdom of God beyond this vale of tears. The gospel of
Jesus Christ is the power of God unto salvation, and it is ab-
solutely necessary for every man and woman in the Church
of Christ to work righteousness, to observe the laws of God,
and keep the commandments that he has given, in order that
they may avail themselves of the power of God unto salva-
tion in this life.— Oct C. R., 1907, p. 2.

Our Mission is to Save. Our mission is to save, to
preserve from evil, to exalt mankind, to bring light and truth
into the world, to prevail upon the people of the earth to
walk righteously before God, and to honor him in their lives
and with the first fruits of all their substance and increase,
that their barns may be filled with plenty and, figuratively
speaking, that "their presses may burst out with new wine."
—Apr. C.R., 1907, p. 118.

PURPOSE AND MISSION OF CHURCH 89

The Gospel Message. I rejoice exceedingly in the
truth. I thank God every day of my life for his mercy and
kindness, and loving care and protection that has been ex-
tended to all his people, and for the many manifestations of
his peculiar mercy and blessings that have been extended
unto us throughout all the length and breadth of the land
and through all the years since the organization of the
Church, on the 6th of April, 1830.

The Lord, about that time, or soon after, decreed a de-
cree which he said his people should realize, that they should
begin from that very hour to prevail over all their enemies,
and, inasmuch as they continued to be faithful in keeping
his laws he had given unto them, it was decreed that they
should prevail until all enemies were subdued — not subdued
by violence, nor the spirit of contention nor of warfare, but
subdued by the power of eternal truth, by the majesty and
power of Almighty God, but by the increased power of
the righteous and of the upright covenanted people of God —
should be magnified and increased, until the world shall bow
and acknowledge that Jesus is the Christ, and that there is
a people preparing for his coming in power and glory to
the earth again.

We carry to the world the olive branch of peace. We
present to the world the law of God, the word of the Lord,
the truth, as it has been revealed in the latter day for the
redemption of the dead and for the salvation of the living.
We bear no malice or evil toward the children of men. The
spirit of forgiveness pervades the hearts of the Saints of
God, and they do not cherish a desire or feeling of revenge
toward their enemies or those who hurt or molest them or
seek to make them afraid; but on the contrary, the Spirit
of the Lord has possession of their spirits, of their souls,
and of their thoughts ; they forgive all men, and they carry
no malice in their hearts toward any, no matter what they
have done. They say in their hearts, let God judge between

90 GOSPEL DOCTRINE

us and our enemies, and as for us, we forgive them, and we
bear no malice toward any. — Apr. C. R., 1902, p. 2.

We are as Leaven. While it may be said, and it is in
a measure true, that we are but a handful in comparison
with our fellow men in the world, yet we may be compared
with the leaven of which the Savior spoke, that will even-
tually leaven the whole world. We have ample assurance
of the fulfilment of this thought in the growth and develop-
ment of the cause from its incipiency until the present, for
it has steadily and increasingly progressed and developed in
the earth, from a mere half dozen of men, seventy-nine
years ago, until today the members of the Church may be
numbered by the hundreds of thousands. — Apr. C. R. } 1909,
p. 2.

Man Insignificant Compared to Cause. We are
learning the great truth that man is insignificant in his in-
dividually, in comparison to the mighty cause which
involves the salvation of the children of men, living and
dead, and those who will yet live in the earth. Men must
set aside their own prejudices, their own personal desires,
wishes and preferences, and pay deference to the great cause
of truth that is spreading abroad in the world. — Apr. C. R.,
1909, p. 2.

Where the Gospel Spirit Leads. The spirit of the
gospel leads men to righteousness ; to love their fellow men
and to labor for their salvation and exaltation ; it inspires
them to do good and not evil, to avoid even the appearance
of sin, much more to avoid sin itself. This is indeed the
spirit of the gospel, which is the spirit of this latter-day work,
and also the spirit that possesses those who have embraced
it; and the aim and purpose of this work is the salvation,
the exaltation, and the eternal happiness of man, both in this
life and in the life to come. — Apr. C. R., 1909, p. 4.

The Fruits of True Religion. The fruits of the
Spirit of God — the fruits of the spirit of true religion — are.

PURPOSE AND MISSION OF CHURCH 91

peace and love, virtue and honesty, and integrity, and fidel-
ity to every virtue known in the law of God, — while the spirit
of the world is vicious. Read the 5th chapter of Galatians
and there you will discover the difference between the fruits
of the Spirit of God and the fruits of the spirit of the world.
That is one of the great and chief differences between "Mor-
monism," so called, and the theology of the world. If
"Mormonism" is anything at all more than other religions,
it is that it is practical, that the results of obedience to it
are practical, that it makes good men better men, and that it
takes even bad men and makes good ones of them. That is
what "Mormonism" will do, if we will only permit it to do
it, if we will bow to its mandates and adopt its precepts in
our lives, it will make us the sons and the daughters of God,
worthy eventually to dwell in the presence of the Almighty
in the heavens.— Apr. C. R., 1905, p. 86.

Latter-day Saints Possess the Spirit of Salvation.
The Latter-day Saints possess the spirit of salvation, and
not the spirit of destruction ; the spirit of life, not the spirit
of death; the spirit of peace, not the spirit of disunion; the
spirit of love for their fellow beings, not the spirit of hate.
And for the enjoyment of this spirit by the Saints of the
Most High, we all have great cause to render praise and
thanksgiving to him who has so ordered it, and has given to
us humility to receive that measure of his Spirit which in-
clines our hearts to good and not to evil. — Oct. C. R. f 1905,
p. 2.

May Israel Flourish. May Israel flourish upon the
hills and rejoice upon the mountains, and assemble together
unto the place which God has appointed, and there prosper,
multiply and replenish the earth, and thence spread abroad
throughout the land; for the time will come when we will
find it necessary to fulfil the purposes of the Almighty by
occupying the land of Zion in all parts of it. We are not
destined to be confined to the valleys of the mountains.

92 GOSPEL DOCTRINE

Zion is destined to grow, and the time will come when we
will cry aloud, more than we do today, "Give us room that
we may dwell ["—Apr. C. R., 1907, p. 118.

The Work of the Lord Will Grow. The kingdom
of God and the work of the Lord will spread more and more ;
it will progress more rapidly in the world in the future than
it has done in the past. The Lord has said it, and the Spirit
beareth record ; and I bear testimony to this, for I do know
that it is true.— Apr. C. R. } 1909, p. 7.

The Kingdom of God to Continue. The kingdom of
God is here to grow, to spread abroad, to take root in the
earth, and to abide where the Lord has planted it by his
own power and by his own word in the earth, nevermore to
be destroyed nor to cease, but to continue until the purposes
of the Almighty shall be accomplished, every whit that has
been spoken of it by the mouths of the holy prophets since
the world began.— Apr. C. R., 1902, p. 2.

Zion Established to Remain. Zion is established in
the midst of the earth to remain. It is God Almighty's
work, which he himself, by his own wisdom, and not by the
wisdom of man, has restored to the earth in the latter days,
and he has established it upon principles of truth and right-
eousness, of purity of life and revelation from God, that it
can no more be thrown down nor left to another people, so
long as the majority of the Church of Jesus Christ of Latter-
day Saints will abide in their covenants with the Lord and
keep themselves pure and unspotted from the world, as all
members of the Church should keep themselves. Then it
will be as God has decreed, perpetual and eternal, until his
will is accomplished and his purposes fulfilled among the
children of men. No people can ever prosper and flourish
very long unless they abide in God's truth. There is nothing,
no individuality, no combined influence among men, that can
prevail over the truth. The truth is mighty and it will pre-
vail. It may be slow in the consummation of its purpose, in

PURPOSE AND MISSION OF CHURCH 93

the accomplishment of the work that it has to do, but it is
and will be sure; for the truth cannot and will not fail, for
the Lord Almighty is behind it. It is his work, and he will
see to it that it is accomplished. The kingdom is the Lord's,
and the Lord is capable of taking care of it. He has always
taken care of it. I want to say to you that there never was
a time since the organization of the Church of Jesus Christ
of Latter-day Saints, when a man led the Church, not for
one moment. It was not so in the days of Joseph ; it was
not so in the days of Brigham Young; it has not been so
since ; it never will be so. The direction of this work among
the people of the world will never be left to men. It is
God's work, let me tell you, and I hope you will put it down
in your memoranda, and do not forget that it is the Almighty
that is going to do this work, and consummate it, and not
man. No man shall have the honor of doing it, nor has any
man ever had the power to do it of himself. It is God's
work. If it had been the work of man, we would have been
like the rest of the world, and it would not have been true of
us that God had chosen us out of the world, but we would
be a part of it, and "Hail fellow, well met," with it; but it
is true that God has chosen us out of the world; therefore
we are not of it; therefore they hate us and they will fight
us and say all manner of evil against us falsely, as they
have ever done from the beginning. And they will continue
to seek the destruction of the Latter-day Saints, and to feel
towards us in the future, as they have felt in the past. Now,
don't you forget it, my brothers and sisters. When you go
home, if you have not been in the habit of doing it, or if
you have neglected your duty, when you go home today or
to your homes in distant settlements, carry this injunction
with you: Go into your secret chambers — go into your
prayer-rooms — and there by yourselves or with your family
gathered around you, bow your knees before God Almighty
in praise and in thanksgiving to him for his merciful prov-

94 GOSPEL DOCTRINE

idence that has been over you and over all his people from
the inception of this work down to the present. Remember
that it is the gift of God to man, that it is his power and his
guiding influence that has accomplished what we see has
been accomplished. It has not been done by the wisdom of
men. It is proper we should give honor to those who have
been instrumental in bringing to pass much righteousness.
They are instruments in God's hand, and we should not
ignore that they are such instruments, and we should honor
them as such; but when we undertake to give them the
honor for accomplishing this work and take the honor from
God who qualified the men to do the work, we are doing
injustice to God. We are robbing him of the honor that
rightfully belongs to him,.and giving it to men who are only
instrumental in the hands of God in accomplishing his pur-
poses.—^. C. R., 1905, pp. 5, 6.

The Progress of God's Work Cannot be Stopped.
Now, we are thankful to the Lord that we are counted
worthy to be taken notice of by the devil. I would fear
very much for our safety if we had fallen into a condition
where the devil ceased to be concerned about us. So long
as the Spirit of the Lord is enjoyed by you, so long as you
are living your religion and keeping the commandments of
the Lord, walking uprightly before him, I assure you that
the adversary of souls will not rest easy; he will be dis-
contented with you, will find fault with you, and he will
arraign you before his bar; but that will not hurt you very
much if you will just keep on doing right. You do not need
to worry in the least, the Lord will take care of you and
bless you, he will also take care of his servants, and will
bless them and help them to accomplish his purposes ; and all
the powers of darkness combined in earth and in hell cannot
prevent it. They may take men's lives ; they may slay and
destroy, if they will ; but they cannot destroy the purposes of
God nor stop the progress of his work. He has stretched

PURPOSE AND MISSION OF CHURCH 95

forth his hand to accomplish his purposes, and the arm of
flesh cannot stay it. He will cut his work short in right-
eousness, and will hasten his purposes in his own time. It
is only necessary to try with our might to keep pace with
the onward progress of the word of the Lord, then God will
preserve and protect us, and will prepare the way before us,
that we shall live and multiply and replenish the earth, and
always do his will; which may God grant. — Oct. C. R.,
1905, pp. 5, 6.

Divinity of the Gospel. Somewhat unexpectedly I
am called to stand before you, but I do so with pleasure, as
I have a testimony to bear to the work we are engaged in ;
and it gives me pleasure when an opportunity is afforded
to give expression to my feelings in relation to that work.
That we have the gospel and have enjoyed its blessings, and
that the ordinances of the gospel have been administered to
us as Latter-day Saints, there are thousands of witnesses in
this territory and in many places in the world. The testimony
of the truth of this work is not confined to one or to a few ;
but there are thousands who can declare that they know it
is true, because it has been revealed to them.

We as a people are increasing in numbers, and the Lord
Almighty is increasing his blessings upon us, and the people
are expanding in their understanding and in the knowledge
of the truth. I feel grateful to my heavenly Father that I
have been permitted to live in this generation, and have been
permitted to become acquainted, somewhat, with the princi-
ples of the gospel. I am thankful that I have had the priv-
ilege of having a testimony of its truth, and that I am per-
mitted to stand here and elsewhere to bear my testimony
to the truth that the gospel has been restored to man.

I have traveled somewhat among the nations preaching
the gospel, and have seen something of the conditions of the
world, and to a certain extent have become acquainted with
the feelings of men, and with the religions of the world. I

96 GOSPEL DOCTRINE

am aware that the gospel, as revealed in the Bible, cannot be
found in the world; the ordinances of that gospel are not ad-
ministered in any church except the Church of Jesus Christ
of Latter-day Saints. If we make ourselves acquainted
with the tenets of the religious world we shall find that they
have not the gospel nor its ordinances ; they have a form
of godliness, and I have no doubt, are as sincere as we who
have obeyed the gospel as revealed from heaven in these
days. But they are devoid of the knowledge which we pos-
sess, and it is from the fact that they deny the source by
which they might receive this knowledge — namely, revela-
tion from Jesus Christ. In their minds they have closed up
the heavens; they declare that God has revealed all that is
necessary, that the canon of scripture is full, and that no
more will be revealed. Believing thus, they close up the
avenue of light and intelligence from heaven; and this will
continue so long as they continue in their present course of
unbelief. They will not listen to the testimony of men who
tell them that the Lord lives and that he is able to reveal
his will to man today, as ever. They will not heed this
testimony, consequently they close the door of light and rev-
elation. They cannot advance, nor learn the ways of God
nor walk in his paths.

We testify that the barriers which separated man from
God have been overcome, that the Lord has again communi-
cated his will to man. "But," says one, "how shall we be-
come acquainted with these things How can we know that
you are not deceived?" *To all such we say, repent of your
sins in all sincerity, then go forth and be baptized, and have
hands laid upon you for the gift of the Holy Ghost, and the
Spirit will bear record to you of the truth of our testimony,
and you will become witnesses of it as we are, and will be
able to stand forth boldly and testify to the world as we do.
This was the path pointed out by Peter and the apostles on
the day of Pentecost, when the Spirit of the Lord Almighty

PURPOSE AND MISSION OF CHURCH 97

rested upon them with great power to the convincing of the
hearts of the people who cried out, "Men and brethren, what
shall we do?" And Peter said unto them, "Repent, and be
baptized, every one of you, in the name of Jesus Christ, for
the remission of sins, and ye shall receive the gift of the
Holy Ghost." This was the counsel given them, and inas-
much as they obeyed it, they were entitled to the testimony
of the Holy Spirit which would bring peace and happiness,
reveal to them their duties, and enable them to understand
their relationship to God.

If we look at the condition of the world today, we must
come to the conclusion that peace is not likely soon to be
established on the earth. There is nothing among the nations
that tends to peace. Even among the religious societies the
tendency is not to peace and union. They do not bring men
to a knowledge of God ; they do not possess the "one God,
one faith, one baptism, and one hope of their calling" that
are spoken of in the Scriptures. Every man has gone accord-
ing to his own notions, independent of revelations, and
hence, confusion and division exist; their churches are
broken up, and they are quarreling and contending with
each other. And as it is in the religious, so it is in the po-
litical world ; they are all divided, and the more energy they
put forth to make proselytes, the greater are their conten-
tions, and the further they go from the mark. This is the
condition they have been in, and the course they have been
pursuing for almost eighteen hundred years, until today they
have become so divided that I think it would puzzle anyone
to tell how many religious denominations there are in Chris-
tendom. There are thousands, too, who, in consequence of
the strife and contention among the religious sects, have
become entirely sceptical respecting religion of every kind,
and they have concluded that there is no God ; at any rate,
that there is no God among "Christians" — that all religion-
ists are fanatics and are deceived. The sectarian systems

98 GOSPEL DOCTRINE

of religion are calculated to lead men of reflection and intel-
ligence into scepticism, to cause them to deny all interfer-
ence of God with men and their affairs, and to deny even his
right to interfere.

The Lord Almighty is the Creator of the earth, he is
the Father of all our spirits. He has the right to dictate
what we shall do, and it is our duty to obey, and to walk
according to his requirements. This is natural, and per-
fectly easy to be comprehended. The gospel has been re-
stored to the earth, and the priesthood again established, and
both are enjoyed by this people; but those unacquainted with
the workings of the gospel and the priesthood look upon us
with wonder, and are astonished at the union that exists in
our midst. We move as a man, almost; we hearken to the
voice of our leader; we are united in our faith and in our
works. The world can not understand this, and they behold
it with wonder.

Let me tell my brethren and friends that this is one of
the effects of the gospel of Jesus Christ. We have become
united in our faith by one baptism; we know that Jesus
Christ lives, we know that he is our Savior and Redeemer;
we have a testimony of this, independent of any written
books, and we testify of these things to the world. This
unison in the midst of the people called Latter-day Saints,
and their prosperity, are hard for a great many to under-
stand. I have, however, heard it said, that we boast that we
are not so wealthy as our neighbors. But when our circum-
stances, and the condition of our country when we came here
are considered, I think this statement cannot be sustained.
When we came here we were penniless, and we have not had
the advantage of wealth or commerce to help to enrich us,
but all we possess, is the result of our own physical labor
and the blessing of God. We have labored under great
disadvantages in freighting our goods and machinery over
these vast plains, and besides this we have had a barren

PURPOSE AND MISSION OF CHURCH 99

soil and drouth to contend with, and when all these things
are considered, I think we have been prospered more than
any other people. And as it has been in the past so will it
be in the future — we will increase, and extend our borders,
for this is the work of God ; we are his people, and he will
continue to bless us as he has done hitherto.

Our business is to learn our duties one towards an-
other and towards our leaders. This is a lesson that we
seem rather slow to learn. But it should be with us : when
our leaders speak it is for us to obey ; when they direct, we
should go; when they call, we should follow. Not as be-
ings who are enslaved or in thraldom; we should not obey
blindly, as instruments or tools. No Latter-day Saint acts
in this manner ; no man or woman who has embraced the
gospel has ever acted in this way ; but on the contrary men
and women have felt to listen cheerfully to the counsels of
the servants of God as far as they were able to comprehend
them. The difficulty is not in getting the Latter-day Saints to
do right, but in getting them to comprehend what is right. We
have obeyed the counsels of our leaders because we have
known they have been inspired by the Holy Spirit and because
we positively have known that their counsels have been given
for our good. We do know and have always known that our
leaders have been inspired with wisdom superior to that
which we possess. For this reason we take hold of every-
thing they present to us for the good of Zion.

We are engaged in the great latter-day work of preach-
ing the gospel to the nations, gathering the poor, and build-
ing up Zion upon the earth. We are working for the tri-
umph of righteousness, for the subjugation of sin and the
errors of the age in which we live. It is a great and glorious
work. We believe it is right to love God with all our hearts,
and to love our neighbors as ourselves. We believe it is
wrong to lie, steal, commit adultery, or do any act forbidden
by the gospel of Christ. We believe in all the teachings of the

100 GOSPEL DOCTRINE

Savior and in everything that is good and moral, and calcu-
lated to exalt mankind or to ameliorate their condition, to
unite them in doing good. These are among the principles
of the gospel, and these principles have been taught to us
from the commencement of our career as members of this
Church. These principles are carried out among us to an
extent not to be found among any other people. We do not
believe in worshiping God or being religious on the Sabbath
day only ; but we believe it is as necessary to be religious on
Monday, Tuesday and every day in the week, as it is on
the Sabbath day; we believe that it is necessary to do to our
neighbors as we would they should do unto us, during the
week as it is on the Sabbath. In short, we believe it is
necessary to live our religion every day in the week, every
hour in the day, and every moment. Believing and acting
thus, we become strengthened in our faith, the Spirit of
God increases within us, we advance in knowledge, and we
are better able to defend the cause we are engaged in.

To be a true representative of this cause a man must
live faithful to the light that he has ; he must be pure, virtu-
ous and upright. If he comes short of this he is not a fair
representative of this work. The gospel of Jesus Christ
is the perfect law of liberty. It is calculated to lead man
to the highest state of glory, and to exalt him in the pres-
ence of our heavenly Father, "with whom is no variableness
neither shadow of turning." If there is any folly to be seen
in the midst of this people, it is the folly and weakness of
man, and is not because of any failing or lack in the plan of
salvation. The gospel is perfect in its organization. It is for
us to learn the gospel, and to become acquainted with the
principles of truth, to humble ourselves before God that we
may bring ourselves into subjection to his laws, and be con-
tinually willing to listen to the counsels ,of those whom the
Lord has appointed to guide us.

PURPOSE AND MISSION OF CHURCH 101

We know that God has spoken ; we testify of this. We
stand as witnesses to the world that this is true. We ask
no odds of any man, community or nation on the face of the
earth, in relation to these things. We bear a fearless testi-
mony that they are true. We also bear testimony that Brig-
ham Young is a prophet of the living God, and that he has
the revelations of Jesus Christ ; that he has guided this peo-
ple by the power of revelation from the time he became their
leader until the present, and he has never failed in his duty
or mission. He has been faithful before God, and faithful
to this people. We bear this testimony to the world. We
fear not, neither do we heed their scorn, contempt, or sneers.
We are used to it. We have seen it and heard it, and have
become inured to it. We know that the One in whom we
trust is God, for it has been revealed to us. We are not in
the dark, neither have we obtained our knowledge from any
man, synod or collection of men, but through the revelation
of Jesus. If there be any who doubt us, let them repent of
their sins. Is there any harm in your forsaking your fol-
lies and evils, and in bowing in humility before God for his
Spirit, and in obedience to the words of the Savior, being
baptized for the remission of sins, and having hands laid upon
you for the gift of the Holy Ghost, that you may have a
witness for yourselves of the truth of the words we speak
to you? Do this humbly and honestly, and as sure as the
Lord lives, I promise to you that you will receive the testi-
mony of this work for yourselves, and will know it as all the
Latter-day Saints know it. This is the promise; it is sure
and steadfast. It is something tangible; it is in the power
of every man to prove for himself whether we speak the
truth or whether we lie. We do not come as deceivers or
imposters before the world ; we do not come with the inten-
tion to deceive, but we come with the plain, simple truth,
and leave it to the world to test it and get a knowledge

102 GOSPEL DOCTRINE

for themselves. It is the right of every soul that lives — the
high, low, rich, poor, great and small, to have this testimony
for themselves inasmuch as they will obey the gospel. .

Jesus in ancient times sent his disciples forth to preach
the gospel to every creature, saying they that believed and
were baptized should be saved, but they that believed not
should be damned. And said he, "These signs shall follow
them that believe: In my name shall they cast out devils;
they shall speak with new tongues; they shall take up ser-
pents ; and if they drink any deadly thing, it shall not hurt
them; they shall lay hands on the sick, and they shall re-
cover." These are the promises made anciently, and there
are thousands in this territory and in this congregation who
can bear testimony that they have realized the fulfilment
of these promises in this day. The healing of the sick
among us has become so common that it is apparently but
little thought of. We have also seen the lame made to walk,
and the blind to receive their sight, the deaf to hear, and the
dumb to speak. These things we have seen done by the
power of God and not by the cunning or wisdom of men;
we know that these signs do follow the preaching of the gos-
pel. Yet these testimonies of its truth are but poor and weak
when compared with the whisperings of the still small voice
of the Spirit of God. The latter is a testimony that none
who enjoy it can deny; it cannot be overcome, for it brings
conviction to the heart that cannot be reasoned away or dis-
proved, whether it can be accounted for on philosophical
principles or not. This testimony comes from God and con-
vinces all to whom it is given in spite of themselves, and is
worth more to me than any sign or gift beside, because it
gives peace and happiness, contentment and quiet to my soul.
It assures me that God lives, and if I am faithful I shall ob-
tain the blessings of the celestial kingdom.

Is this unscriptural or contrary to reason or to any re-
vealed truth? No, it is in compliance with and in cor-

PURPOSE AND MISSION OF CHURCH 103

roboration of all revealed truth known to man. The Lord
Almighty lives, and he operates by the power of his Spirit
over the hearts of the children of men and holds the nations
of the earth in his hands. He created the earth upon which
we dwell, and its treasures are his; and he will do with us
according as we merit. As we are faithful or unfaithful, so
will the Almighty deal with us, for we are his children, and
we are heirs of God and joint heirs with Jesus Christ.

We have a glorious destiny before us ; we are engaged
in a glorious work. It is worth all our attention, it is worth
our lives and everything the Lord has put into our posses-
sion, and then ten thousand times more. Indeed there is no
comparison, it is all in all, it is incomparable. It is all that
is and all that ever will be. The gospel is salvation, and
without it there is nothing worth having. We came naked
into the world and shall go hence the same. If we were to
accumulate half the world, it would avail us nothing so far
as prolonging life here, or securing eternal life hereafter.
But the gospel teaches men to be humble, faithful, honest
and righteous before the Lord and with each other, and in
proportion as its principles are carried out so will peace and
righteousness extend and be established on the earth, and sin,
contention, bloodshed and corruption of all kinds cease, to
exist, and the earth become purified and be made a fit abode
for heavenly beings ; and for the Lord our God to come and
dwell upon, which he will do during the Millennium.

The principles of the gospel which the Lord has revealed
in these days will lead us to eternal life. This is what we
are after; what we were created for; what the earth was
created for. The reason that we are here is that we may
overcome every folly and prepare ourselves for eternal life
in the future. I do not think that a principle of salvation
is available only as it can be applied in our lives. For in-
stance, if there is a principle calculated in its nature to save
me from the penalty of any crime, it will avail me nothing

104 GOSPEL DOCTRINE

unless I act upon it this moment. If I do this and continue
to do so, I act upon the principle of salvation, and I am
secure from the penalty of that crime and will be forever,
so long as I abide by that principle or law. It is just so with
the principles of the gospel — they are a benefit or not, just as
they are or are not applied in our lives.

Then let us be faithful and humble; let us live the re-
ligion of Christ, put away our follies and sins and the weak-
nesses of the flesh, and cleave to God and his truth with un-
divided hearts, and with full determination to fight the good
fight of faith and continue steadfast to the end, which may
God grant us power to do is my prayer in the name of
Jesus. Amen. — Discourse, Nov. IS, 1868, Journal of Dis-
courses, Vol. 12, pp. 326-332, 1869.

The Gospel All Comprehensive. The gospel of our
Lord Jesus Christ embraces all the laws and ordinances
necessary for the salvation of man. Paul declared it to be
the "power of God unto salvation to every one that be-
lieveth." No man can be saved in opposition to its "saving
ordinances, but must receive each ordinance in the spirit of
humility and faith. Technically, the term "gospel" signifies
"good news," and is said to be taken from, or founded on, the
annunciation of the angel who appeared to the shepherds at
the time of the Savior's birth, declaring, "Behold, I bring you
good tidings of great joy, which shall be to all people."

In the theological sense, the gospel means more than
just the tidings of good news with accompanying joy to the
souls of men, for it embraces every principle of eternal truth.
There is no fundamental principle, or truth, anywhere in the
universe, that is not embraced in the gospel of Jesus Christ,
and it is not confined to the simple first principles, such as
faith in God, repentance from sin, baptism for the remission
of sins and the laying on of hands for the gift of the Holy
Ghost, although these are absolutely essential to salvation
and exaltation in the kingdom of God.

PURPOSE AND MISSION OF CHURCH 105

The laws known to man as the "laws of nature," by
which the earth and all things on it are governed, as well
as the laws which prevail throughout the entire universe, by
which the heavenly bodies are controlled and to which they
are obedient in all things, are all circumscribed and in-
cluded in the gospel. Every natural law or scientific prin-
ciple that man has truly discovered, but which was always
known to God, is a part of the gospel truth. There never
was and never will be any conflict between truth revealed
by the Lord to his servants, the prophets, and truth revealed
by him to the scientist, who makes his discoveries through
his research and study.

There is a great deal that is taught in the religions of
the world as gospel truth that the Lord never did reveal,
and which is not in harmony with revealed religion. There
is also much that is taught in the world of science that the
Lord never did reveal, which is in conflict with the truth. A
great deal that man has put forth as scientific theory is
founded in error and therefore cannot prevail. The con-
flict between religion and science is founded in error and
therefore cannot pervail. The conflict between religion and
science is due to the fact that there are many ideas ad-
vanced in false forms of religion and false conclusions
reached by men of science. Truth and error can never
agree; but truth, no matter where it is found, is consistent
and will always harmonize with every other truth. The Lord
has stated it as follows :

"For intelligence cleaveth unto intelligence; wisdom
receiveth wisdom; truth embraceth truth; virtue loveth vir-
tue; light cleaveth unto light; mercy hath compassion on
mercy, and claimeth her own." — Doc. and Cov. 88 :40.

The Lord has revealed that man was formed in his
image and that we are his offspring. This is a glorious gos-
pel truth. Anything that we may be taught, whether in
false forms of religion or in the field of science in conflict

106 GOSPEL DOCTRINE

with this great truth cannot endure, for it is error. It may
be cherished for a season and seem to prevail, as many
falsehoods have done in the past when put forth as truth,
but the time will come when all theories, ideas and opinions
which are not in harmony with that which the Lord has de-
clared, must come to an end; for that which remains and
will endure and abide forever, will be the truth, even the
gospel of our Lord and Savior Jesus Christ.- — Juvenile In-
structor, Vol. 51, pp. 164, 165, March, 1916.

Let Your Light Shine. Christ, teaching his disciples,
called attention to the importance of their position and place
in the world. Though poor and despised of men, yet he told
them they were the salt of the earth, the light of the world.

Then he encouraged them to effort and achievement by
showing them that their exalted position would avail them
little, unless they made proper use of their high callings.

These conditions and instructions apply admirably to
the Latter-day Saints, who are indeed the salt of the earth,
and in whom is vested the gospel light of the world ; who, as
the apostle said of the Former-day Saints, are a chosen gen-
eration, a royal priesthood, an holy nation, a peculiar people ;
that they should show forth the praises of him who called
them out of darkness into his marvelous light.

But all this availeth little or nothing, unless the Saints
consider themselves of some consequence, and let their light
shine, collectively and individually; unless they are model
in their behavior, honest, zealous in the spread of truth, tol-
erant of their neighbors, "having your conversation honest
among the Gentiles ; that whereas they speak against you as
evil-doers, they may by your good works, which they shall
behold, glorify God in the day of visitation."

One fault to be avoided by the Saints, young and old, is
the tendency to live on borrowed light, with their own hidden
under a bushel ; to permit the savor of their salt of knowl-

PURPOSE AND MISSION OF CHURCH 107

edge to be lost; and the light within them to be reflected,
rather than original.

Every Saint should not only have the light within him-
self, through the inspiration of the Holy Spirit, but his light
should so shine that it may be clearly perceived by others.

Men and women should become settled in the truth, and
founded in the knowledge of the gospel, depending upon no
person for borrowed or reflected light, but trusting only
upon the Holy Spirit, who is ever the same, shining forever
and testifying to the individual and the priesthood, who live
in harmony with the laws of the gospel, of the glory and
the will of the Father. They will then have light everlasting,
which cannot be obscured. By its shining in their lives, they
shall cause others to glorify God; and by their well-dping
put to silence the ignorance of foolish men, and show forth
the praises of him who hath called them out of darkness
into his marvelous light. — Improvement Era, Vol. 8, pp.
60-62, 1904^5.

No Cause for Worry. The Saints and their leaders
have redeemed the waste places, founded Christian homes,
churches, and schools; established, industries — because of
the very nature of their necessities. Why hsould they
not be permitted to enjoy the fruits of their toil, and
why be sneered at and condemned for their energy and
enterprise, and especially by men who prove themselves to
be hypocrites and liars, who live on what others have pro-
duced? Are the Saints to be condemned because they have
appropriated the land, paid for it by hard labor, cultivated
and made the best out of it by their united strength, under
the inspired direction of wise leaders ? It will be noted that
it is not the people who are complaining, for they have been
assisted in many ways to better themselves by such leaders ;
but it is the ministers, who have no interest whatever, either
in our material or spiritual advancement. And then again,

108 GOSPEL DOCTRINE

are such leaders to be condemned because they have directed
and led the way in these things? Had they not done so,
whence would our enterprises, our temporal salvation, have
come? Never by the help of sectarian ministers, that much
is true, at least.

No ; young man, you need not be troubled over minis-
terial accusations against this people, nor over what the peo-
ple of the world say against us. I have no fears for the
Church from these sources, but I confess I have fears when
our young men begin to weaken, and to take sides against
their fathers ; to profess to think that the priesthood is selfish
and self-seeking; to follow lies and accusations rather than
plain truth; to join in derision against the leaders of the
Saints, and to laugh when unfriendly editors and ministers
hold them up to ridicule. I fear, when young men deny the
truth and follow falsehood ; when they become self-sufficient,
unvirtuous, worldly and proud ; when the sterling qualities
of their fathers are derided by them; when they seek the
plaudits of men of the world, rather than the kingdom of
God and his righteousness.

There is no genuine truth in the arraignment of the
Church and her officers by the ministers, but much to you,
young men, in the way you look upon it, and in your acts
and decisions. Especially, without careful consideration,
should you pay no attention to the accusation of ministers,
to whom with force the sentiment of Emerson applies : "We
want men and women who shall renovate life and our social
state, but we see that most natures are insolvent — cannot
satisfy their own wants, have an ambition out of all propor-
tion to their practical force, and so do lean and beg day and
night continually."

I say that nothing can bring peace to our young men
in this world save the triumphs of the principles of truth
which have been revealed of God to the Latter-day Saints,
for our doctrines are the practical precepts of the gospel of

PURPOSE AND MISSION OF CHURCH 109

Jesus Christ, and to behold its triumph should be the over-
powering ambition and desire of every righteous soul. This
is spiritual salvation which includes the temporal. Seek to
know the worth thereof, and let these men's ravings be put
under your feet. Remember that "when a man lives with
Gad his voice shall be as sweet as the murmur of the brook
and the rustle of the corn." The Saints and their leaders
strive diligently to this end. — Improvement Era, Vol. 7,
p. 303, February, 1904.

The Gospel a Shield from Terror. We hear about
living in perilous times. We are in perilous times, but I do
not feel the pangs of that terror. It is not upon me. I pro-
pose to live so that it will not rest upon me. I propose to
live so that I shall be immune from the perils of the world,
if it be possible for me to so live, by obedience to the com-
mandments of God and to his laws revealed for my guidance.
No matter what may come to me, if I am only in the line
of my duty, if I am in fellowship with God, if I am worthy
of the fellowship of my brethren, if I can stand spotless be-
fore the world, without blemish, without transgression of
the laws of God, what does it matter to me what may hap-
pen to me ? I am always ready, if I am in this frame of un-
derstanding mind and conduct. It does not matter at all.
Therefore I borrow no trouble nor feel the pangs of fear.

The Lord's hand is over all, and therein I acknowledge
his hand. Not that men are at war, not that nations are try-
ing to destroy nations, not that men are plotting against the
liberties of their fellow creatures, not in those respects at
all ; but God's hand is not shortened. He will control the
results that will follow. He will overrule them in a way that
you and I, today, do not comprehend, or do not foresee, for
ultimate good. He foresees the end as he foresaw that war
should come upon all the nations of the world, and as the
Prophet has declared it would. The Lord knew it would
come. Why? Because he knew what the world was doing.

110 GOSPEL DOCTRINE

He knew the trend of the spirit of men and of nations. He
knew what the results would be, in time. He knew when
the time would be, and the results that would be manifest,
and so he declared it by the voice of his servants, the proph-
ets; and now we see the fulfilment of the predictions made
by the servants of God, as they were inspired to utter them,
when they declared that the time would come to pass when
war would be poured out upon all nations — not to fulfil the
purposes of God, but the purposes of the nations of the
earth in consequence of their wickedness. It may be a very
difficult thing for me with the range of words that I pos-
sess, to express my thoughts and to explain my full intent;
but I repeat to you, that the Lord God Almighty is not
pleased, nor was it his purpose or design, or intent, to fore-
ordain the condition that the world is in today; nor did he
do so. He foresaw what would come, by the conduct of
men, by their departure from the Truth, by their lack of
the love of God, and by the course that they should pursue,
inimical to the well-being of his children. He foresaw ^what
would be, but he had given them their agency, under which
they are bringing it to pass. The results of it, eventually,
will be overruled for the good of those who shall live after,
not for the good of those who shall destroy themselves be-
cause of their wicked propensities and crimes. — Improve-
*ment Era, Vol. 20, page 827, July, 1917.

The Gospel Trumpet. If we are in the line of our
duty, we are engaged in a great and glorious cause. It is
very essential to our individual welfare that every man and
every woman who has entered into the covenants of the
gospel, through repentance and baptism, should feel that
as individuals it is their bounden duty to use their intelli-
gence, and the agency which the Lord has given them, for
the promotion of the interests of Zion and the establishment
of her cause in the earth.

It matters not how devout, honest, or sincere we might

PURPOSE AND MISSION OF CHURCH 111

be in the profession of our faith in God, or in the system
of religion we might have adopted, and which we believe
to be the everlasting gospel, without repentance and baptism
and the reception of the Holy Ghost, which constitute the
new birth, we are not of the family of Christ, but are aliens,
estranged from God and his laws, and in this fallen condition
we shall remain, whether in the body or in the spirit, for
time and for eternity, unless we render obedience to the plan
devised in the heavens for the redemption and salvation of
the human family.

The Latter-day Saints may say, we were taught this
doctrine by the elders in our native lands, and we believed
it and repented of our sins, and were baptized, and we re-
ceived the gift of the Holy Ghost, which was a testimony
to us that we had done the will of the Father, and since
then our testimonies have often been confirmed through the
manifestations of the power of God, and the renewal of his
Spirit in our hearts. Why, therefore, say they, is it neces-
sary to refer to these things now? We perhaps forget, in
consequence of the things of time, which so tempt our fallen
nature, that having been born anew, which is the putting
away of the old man sin, and putting on of the man Christ
Jesus, we have become soldiers of the Cross, having enlisted
under the banner of Jehovah for time and for eternity, and
that we have entered into the most solemn covenants to serve
God and to contend earnestly for the establishment of the
principles of truth and righteousness on this earth continu-
ally while we live.

In referring to the subject of baptism as essential to sal-
vation, it may be asked by some, what would become of those
who heard not the gospel and who therefore had not the op-
portunity of being baptized, claiming as we do that the
gospel was taken from the earth in consequence of its being
rejected when proclaimed by Jesus and his apostles? I would
say to such, that God has made ample provision for all his

112 GOSPEL DOCTRINE

children, both the ignorant and the learned ; those who have
not had the gospel preached to them in the flesh, will hear
it in the spirit, for all must have the plan of salvation pre-
sented to them for their acceptance or rejection before they
.can become amenable to the law.

In connection with this work is that spoken of con-
cerning Elijah the prophet; namely, "The turning of the
hearts of the children to the fathers, and the hearts of the
fathers to the children," which if not done the whole earth
will be smitten with a curse.

The kingdom of God must be erected upon the princi-
ples which Christ has revealed, upon the foundation of eter-
nal truth ; Jesus himself being the chief corner-stone. These
holy and sublime principles must be observed and honored
in our lives, in order that we may obtain an exaltation with
the sanctified in the kingdom of God.

The beauty of these principles is that they are true,
and the satisfaction derived from their adoption is the
knowledge which we receive convincing us of this fact. We
have not believed a fable, neither are we cherishing a cun-
ningly devised scheme, but we have been inducted into
the truth, having Christ for our head, v/ho is our forerun-
ner, our great High Priest and King.

The Holy Ghost is a personage who acts in Christ's
stead. Just before the risen Redeemer left the earth he
commanded his disciples to tarry in the city of Jerusalem
until they should be endowed with power from on high.
They did so, and agreeable to promise, the Comforter came
whilst they were met together, filling their hearts with un-
speakable joy, insomuch that they spake in tongues and
prophesied; and the inspiring influence of this holy Being
accompanied them in all their ministerial duties, enabling
them to perform the great mission in which they had been
called by the Savior.

I know that God lives and that he has revealed himself.

PURPOSE AND MISSION OF CHURCH 113

I know that the Holy Ghost has been conferred upon the
children of men, and that the gospel has been restored to
the inhabitants of the earth in its fulness. I know that the
Holy Priesthood, which is the power of God delegated to
man, has been restored to the earth. I do know that
God has delivered his people and that he will continue to
deliver us and lead us on in his own peculiar way from
conquest to conquest, from victory to victory, until truth
and righteousness gain the ascendency in this his earth, in-
asmuch as we remain true to him and to one another.

It is the fool who has said in his heart, "There is no
God," and it would indeed be a weak and foolish mind that
would rest satisfied without knowing beyond a doubt the
Author and Source of his religion, when the opportunity of
ascertaining the fact is extended to him.

I know the fruits of my religion are good, they are
flavored with the sweets of heaven, and they impart health
and life to the soul, and I know that God, the Creator of
heaven and earth, is its author. No man need wonder
whether this be really true or not, for all may know for
themselves ; all may partake of the fruit of the vine and eat
and live; all may drink of the eternal spring, and thirst no
more. These things I declare to you to be true and faithful.
I have been acquainted with them from my youth, and I
have felt their influence from my childhood. I have seen
the effect of their opposite, and I know whereof I speak. I
cannot deny these things, neither can any man who has ever
known them, although he may apostatize from the Church,
except he deny himself and his God.

The man who embraces what is called "Mormonism,"
but which is really the gospel of the Son of God, and lives
according to its precepts, will never lie nor steal; he will
not dishonor his parents nor despise his poorer brethren; he
will never, no never, speak against the Lord's anointed nor
be ashamed to own his God, to whom he owes homage and

114 GOSPEL DOCTRINE

gratitude now and forever; he will never do a dishonorable
act, nor fail to acknowledge God in all things, neither will
he refuse to render implicit obedience to the revelations of
God which are applicable to him. It is true, man may err
in judgment, he may be wanting in many things because of
his fallen nature, but the system of salvation is perfect.
Jesus the Only Begotten of the Father, in whom there is no
blemish, is its author ; he is the standard to all the world, and
will be forever. He had power to lay down his life and
take it up again, and if we keep inviolate the covenants of
the gospel, remaining faithful and true to the end, we too,
in his name and through his redeeming blood, will have
power in due time to resurrect these our bodies after they
shall have been committed to the earth. — April 8, 1876,
Journal of Discourses, Vol. 18, pp. 271-277, 1877.

What Church Leaders Advocate. We wish to ad-
vocate the principle of unity, the love of God and neighbor,
the love of a purpose that is great, ennobling, good in itself,
and calculated to exalt man and bring him nearer to the
likeness of the Son of God. — Improvement Era, Vol. 21,
p. 98, December, 1917.

Our Message One of Love. We bring a message of
love. We wish to show how much we love you, and to find
out how much you love us in return. — Improvement Era,
Vol. 21, p. 98, December, 1917.

Whence? Whither? We want to know where we
came from, and where we are going? Where did we come
from? From God. Our spirits existed before they came
to this world. They were in the councils of the heavens be-
fore the foundations of the earth were laid. We were there.
We sang together with the heavenly hosts for joy when the
foundations of the earth were laid, and when the plan of our
existence upon this earth and redemption were mapped out.
We were there; we were interested, and we took a part in
this great preparation. We were unquestionably present in

PURPOSE AND MISSION OF CHURCH 115

those councils when that wonderful circumstance occurred
when Satan offered himself as a savior of the world if he
could but receive the honor and the glory of the Father for
doing it. But Jesus said, "Father, thy will be done, and
the glory be thine forever." Wherefore, because Satan re-
belled against God, and sought to. destroy the agency of man,
the Father rejected him and he was cast out, but Jesus was
accepted. We were, no doubt, there, and took a part in all
those scenes, we were vitally concerned in the carrying out
of these great plans and purposes, we understood them, and
it was for our sakes they were decreed, and are to be con-
summated. These spirits have been coming to this earth to
take upon them tabernacles, that they might become like
unto Jesus Christ, being "formed in his likeness and image/'
from the morn of creation until now, and will continue un-
til the winding up scene, until the spirits who were destined
to come to this world shall have come and accomplished their
mission in the flesh. — Deseret Weekly News, 1884, Vol. 33,
p. 130.

Latter-day Saints are Law-abiding. I wish to enter
here my avowal that the people called Latter-day Saints, as
has been often repeated from this stand, are the most law-
abiding, the most peaceable, long-suffering and patient peo-
ple that can today be found within the confines of this re-
public, and perhaps anywhere else upon the face of the earth ;
and we intend to continue to be law-abiding so far as the
constitutional law of the land is concerned ; and we expect to
meet the consequences of our obedience to the laws and com-
mandments of God like men. These are my sentiments
briefly expressed, upon this subject. — Deseret Weekly News,
1882, Vol. 31, p. 226.

CHAPTER VII

The First Principles of the Gospel

How the Sinner May be Cleansed. You cannot
take a murderer, a suicide, an adulterer, a liar, or one who
was or is thoroughly abominable in his life here, and simply
by the performance of an ordinance of the gospel, cleanse
him from sin and usher him into the presence of God. God
has not instituted a plan of that kind, and it cannot be done.
He has said you shall repent of your sins. The wicked will
have to repent of their wickedness. Those who die without
the knowledge of the gospel will have to come to the knowl-
edge of it, and those who sin against light will have to pay
the uttermost farthing for their transgression and their de-
parture from the gospel, before they can ever get back to it.
Do not forget that. Do not forget it, you elders in Israel,
nor you, mothers in Israel, either; and, when you seek to
save either the living or the dead, bear it in mind that you
can only do it on the principle of their repentance and ac-
ceptation of the plan of life. That is the only way in which
you can succeed. — Oct. C. R., 1907, pp. 6, 7.

Fallacy of Death-Bed Repentance. I do not believe
in the ideas that we hear sometimes advanced in the world,
that it matters but little what men do in this life, if they
will but confess Christ at the end of their journey in life,
that that is all-sufficient, and that by so doing they will
receive their passport into heaven. I denounce this doctrine.
It is unscriptural, it is unreasonable, it is untrue, and it will
not avail any man, no matter by whom this idea may be ad-
vocated ; it will prove an utter failure unto men. As reason-
able beings, as men and women of intelligence, we cannot

FIRST PRINCIPLES OF THE GOSPEL 117

help but admire and honor the doctrine of Jesus Christ,
which is the doctrine of God, and which requires of every
man and woman righteousness in their lives, purity in their
thoughts, uprightness in their daily walk and conversation,
devotion to the Lord, love of truth, love of their fellowman,
and above all things in the world the love of God. These
were the precepts that were inculcated by the Son of God
when he walked among his brethren in the meridian of time.
He taught these precepts; he exemplified them in his life,
and advocated continually the doing of the will of him that
sent him.— Oct. C. R., 1907, p. 3.

The Change that Comes with Repentance and
Baptism. That change comes today to every son and daugh-
ter of God who repents of his or her sins, who humble them-
selves before the Lord, and who seek forgiveness and remis-
sion of sin by baptism by immersion, by one having author-
ity to administer this sacred ordinance of the gospel of Jesus
Christ. For it is this new birth that was spoken of by Christ
to Nicodemus as absolutely essential that men might see the
kingdom of God, and without which no man could enter into
the kingdom. Each of us can remember, perhaps, the
change that came into our hearts when we were baptized
for the remission of our sins. Perhaps it is not proper for
one to speak of himself or of his own experiences, because
there may be those within the sound of my voice who object
to a man speaking of himself, and especially when he shall
say any good of himself ; yet I speak not of myself, I speak
of the influence and power of the Holy Spirit that I experi-
enced when I had been baptized for the remission of my sins.
The feeling that came upon me was that of pure peace, of
love and of light. I felt in my soul that if I had sinned —
and surely I was not without sin — that it had been forgiven
me; that I was indeed cleansed from sin; my heart was
touched, and I felt that I would not injure the smallest in-
sect beneath my feet. I felt as if I wanted to do good

118 GOSPEL DOCTRINE

everywhere to everybody and to everything. I felt a new-
ness of life, a newness of desire to do that which was right.
There was not one particle of desire for evil left in my soul.
I was but a little boy, it is true, when I was baptized; but
this was the influence that came upon me, and I know that it
was from God, and was and ever has been a living witness
to me of my acceptance of the Lord.

Oh! that I could have kept that same spirit and that
same earnest desire in my heart every moment of my life
from that day to this. Yet many of us who have received
that witness, that new birth, that change of heart, while we
may have erred in judgment or have made many mistakes,
and often perhaps come short of the true standard in our
lives, we have repented of the evil, and we have sought from
time to time forgiveness at the hand of the Lord; so that
until this day the same desire and purpose which pervaded
our souls when we were baptized and received a remission
of our sins, still holds possession of our hearts, and is still
the ruling sentiment and passion of our souls. Though we
may at times be stirred to anger, and our wrath move us to
say and do things which are not pleasing in the sight of
God, yet instantly on regaining our sober senses and recov-
ering from our lapse into the power of darkness, we feel
humble, repentant, and to ask forgiveness for the wrong that
we have done to ourselves, and perchance to others. The
great, earnest, overwhelming desire, which is born of the
truth and of the witness of the Holy Spirit in the hearts
of the people who obey the truth, assumes sway and again
takes possession of our souls, to lead us on in the path of
duty. This is my testimony and I know it is true. — Apr. C.
R., 1898, pp. 65, 66.

The Necessity of Baptism. "The Light has come to
the world, and he who will not see it shall be condemned."
The truth is here, and shall men living now be heard to com-
plain hereafter that they have not the truth in their hearts ?

FIRST PRINCIPLES OF THE GOSPEL 119

Certainly not. It is here for all who will seek it, and it shall
be to their undoing if they do not obtain it.

The Savior said to Nicodemus, "except a man be born
again, he cannot enter the kingdom of God," and that is
true today. A man must be born from ignorance into truth,
today, before he can expect to see any difference between
a Latter-day Saint and another not of the faith. If he is
not so born, he is more blind than the one whom Christ
healed, for having eyes he sees not, and having ears, hears
not.

Is there any difference between the baptized and the
unbaptized man ? All the difference in the world, I tell you,
but it is only discernible through the Spirit. It is a vast
difference, too great for one not in possession of the Spirit
to comprehend. Take two men, they may be equals in point
of goodness, they may be equally moral, charitable, honest
and just, but one is baptized and the other is not. There is
a mighty difference between them, for one is the son of God
redeemed by compliance with his laws, and the other remains
in darkness.

The Scriptures say that a rich man would hardly enter
the kingdom of heaven, but it does not mean that riches
will condemn a man, not at all. God is pleased to see us
acquire riches for he intends ultimately to give to us the
whole earth as an eternal inheritance, but it is the love of
riches that kills. A great gulf separates those who enter
the house of the Lord and take wives, and those who do not
thus marry — a tremendous gulf, but to the unspiritual eye
no difference is apparent.

I thank God for "Mormonism," so called; it is the
power of God unto salvation. It is the duty of every Latter-
day Saint to know of its truth and to exemplify it. Its des-
tiny is to overwhelm error and supplant it with righteous-
ness and peace, — From a sermon, given in Logan, Feb. 2,
1909.

120 GOSPEL DOCTRINE

When to Baptize Children. We confess to having
been considerably surprised when attending one of our lat-
est Sunday School conventions on learning that in some
wards in the Church only once or twice in each year are
opportunities given to the children of the Saints to be bap-
tized. We hold the opinion that in every stake of Zion there
should be opportunity for baptism every day of every month
and every month in every year, for we believe that it is an
admirable practice where parents, in conformity with the
revelations of God, have taught their children in the first
principles of the gospel — faith, repentance and baptism, to
have them baptized on their birthdays, when they arrive at
the age of eight years. This practice has many advantages.
In the first place, when a child is baptized on his birthday,
he has no difficulty in remembering the day when that sacred
ordinance was performed in his case. Again, it prevents the
tendency manifested by some people to delay and postpone
duties that are always best performed in their proper time
and season. When once a child has passed the eight year
mark, there appears no particular necessity for the immedi-
ate performance of the ordinance, and the parents are apt to
put it off from day to day and from week to week, until
months have passed over, and the matter is not attended to.
Should it so happen that in this interval the child is taken
by the Lord, then this rite has to be performed in his behalf
after his departure from our midst. How much better it is
that the child have the opportunity of doing this all-
important work for himself or herself. — Juvenile Instructor,
Vol. 40, p. 337, June 1, 1905.

Through Atonement Sins are Washed Away.
When we commit sin, it is necessary that we repent of it
and make restitution as far as lies in our power. When we
cannot make restitution for the wrong we have done, then
we must apply for the grace and mercy of God to cleanse
us from that iniquity.

FIRST PRINCIPLES OF THE GOSPEL 121

Men cannot forgive their own sins ; they cannot cleanse
themselves from the consequences of their sins. Men can
stop sinning and can do right in the future, and so far their
acts are acceptable before the Lord and worthy of considera-
tion. But who shall repair the wrongs they have done to
themselves and to others, which it seems impossible for them
to repair themselves ? By the atonement of Jesus Christ the
sins of the repentant shall be washed away, though they be
crimson they shall be made white as wool. This is the promise
given to you. We who have not paid our tithing in the past,
and are therefore under obligations to the Lord, which we
are not in a position to discharge, the Lord requires that no
longer at our hands, but will forgive us for the past if we
will observe this law honestly in the future. That is gener-
ous and kind, and I feel grateful for it. — Oct. C. R. } 1899,
p. 42.

Conditions for Baptism. No person can be properly
baptized unless he has faith in the Lord Jesus Christ, and
has repented of his sins, with a repentance that need not be
repented of. But faith comes by hearing the word of God.
This implies that the candidate must be taught. Efficient
teaching and preparation must precede the ordinance, so
that the candidate may have a proper appreciation and con-
ception of its purposes. The call to baptism, in the mission
of our Savior, was always preceded by instructions in the
doctrines which he taught. — Improvement Era, Vol. 14, p.
266.

The First Principles of the Gospel. As Latter-day
Saints we have every reason to rejoice in the gospel, and
in the testimony we have received concerning its truth. I
repeat, we have reason to rejoice and to be exceeding glad,
for we possess the testimony of Jesus, the spirit of prophecy,
which the people of the world know nothing about, nor can
they, without obedience to the gospel.

Jesus thoroughly understood this matter, and fully ex-

122 GOSPEL DOCTRINE

plained it when he said, "Except a man be born again, he
cannot see the kingdom of God." On first reflection, it
would seem that anything so clear, reasonable and tangible
could be easily made plain to the understanding of all men.
Hence the feeling that has prompted many of the Latter-day
Saints to believe, after their minds have been enlightened
by the Spirit of God — everything being made so plain and
clear to them, that they had only to tell their friends and
kindred what they had learned and they would gladly receive
it. But how disappointed, after they had presented to them
the truths of heaven in simplicity and plainness, to hear them
say, "We cannot see it!" or, "We do not believe it!" or per-
haps bitterly oppose it, which is by far the most common
practice of the world. They cannot understand it. Why?
Because, as Jesus has said, no man can see the kingdom ex-
cept he is born again. You may preach the gospel to the
people but unless they humble themselves as little children
before the Lord, acknowledging their dependence upon him
for light and wisdom, they cannot see or sense it, although
you may preach to them in as great plainness as it is possible
for the truth to be conveyed from one person to another.
And should any believe your testimony it would only be be-
lief. They would not see as you see — nor comprehend it, as
you do — until they yield obedience to the requirements of
the gospel, and through the remission of their sins receive
the Holy Ghost. Then they, too, can see as you see, for they
have the same spirit ; then will they love the truth as you do,
and may wonder why they could not comprehend it before,
or why it is that there can be anybody with common intel-
ligence that cannot understand truth so plain and forcible.
First, then, it is necessary to have faith in God, faith
being the first principle in revealed religion, and the founda-
tion of all righteousness.

Faith in God is to believe that he is, and "that he is the
only supreme Governor and independent Being, in whom all

FIRST PRINCIPLES OF THE GOSPEL 123

fulness and perfection and every., good gift and principle
dwell independently/' and in whom the faith of all other
rational beings must centre for life and salvation; and fur-
ther, that he is the great Creator of all things, that he is
omnipotent, omniscient, and by his works and the power of
his spirit omnipresent.

Not only is it necessary to have faith in God, but also in
Jesus Christ, his Son, the Savior of mankind and the Medi-
ator of the New Covenant; and in the Holy Ghost, who
bears record of the Father and the Son, "the same in all
ages and forever."

Having this faith, it becomes necessary to repent. Re-
pent of what? Of every sin of which we may have been
guilty. How shall we repent of these sins? Does repent-
ance consist of sorrow for wrong doing? Yes; but is this
all? By no means. True repentance only is acceptable to
God, nothing short of it will answer the purpose. Then
what is true repentance? True repentance ij not only sor-
row for sins, and humble penitence and contrition before
God, but it involves the necessity of turning away from them,
a discontinuance of all evil practiced and deeds, a thorough
reformation of life, a vital change from evil to good, from
vice to virtue, from darkness to light. Not only so, but to
make restitution, so far as it is possible, for all the wrongs
we have done, to pay our debts,, and restore to God and
man their rights — that which is due to them from us. This
is true repentance, and the exercise of the will and all the
powers of body and mind is demanded, to complete this glo-
rious work of repentance ; then God will accept it.

Having thus repented, the next thing requisite is bap-
tism, which is an essential principle of the gospel — no man
can enter into the gospel covenant without it. It is the door
of the Church of Christ, we cannot get in there in any other
way, for Christ hath said it. "Sprinkling," or "pouring,"
is not baptism. Baptism means immersion in water, and

124 GOSPEL DOCTRINE

is to be administered by one having authority, in the name
of the Father, and of the Son, and of the Holy Ghost. Bap-
tism without divine authority is not valid. It is a symbol of
the burial and resurrection of Jesus Christ, and must be done
in the likeness thereof, by one commissioned of God, in
the manner prescribed, otherwise it is illegal and will not be
accepted by him, nor will it effect a remission of sins, the
object for which it is designed, but whosoever hath faith,
truly repents and is "buried with Christ in baptism," by one
having divine authority, shall receive a remission of sins, and
is entitled to the gift of the Holy Ghost by the laying on of
hands.

Only those who are commissioned of Jesus Christ have
authority or power to bestow this gift. The office of the
Holy Ghost is to bear record of Christ, or to testify of him,
and confirm the believer in the truth, by bringing to his
recollection things that have passed, and showing or reveal-
ing to the mind things present and to come. "But the Com-
forter, which i5 the Holy Ghost, whom the Father will send
in my name, he shall teach you all things, and bring all things
to your remembrance, whatsoever I have said unto you."
"He will guide you into all truth." Thus, without the aid
of the Holy Ghost no man can know the will of God, or that
Jesus is the Christ — the Redeemer of the world, or that the
course he pursues, the work he performs, or his faith, are
acceptable to God, and such as will secure to him the gift
of eternal life, the greatest of all gifts. (John 14:26; 16:13.)

"But," says an objector, "have we not the Bible and are
not the Holy Scripture able to make us wise unto salva-
tion?" Yes, provided we obey them. "All Scripture is
given by inspiration of God, and is profitable for doctrine,
for reproof, for correction, for instruction in righteousness;
that the man of God may be perfect, thoroughly furnished
unto all good works." The "good works" are the great
desideratum. The Bible itself is but the dead letter, it is

FIRST PRINCIPLES OF THE GOSPEL 125

the Spirit that giveth life. The way to obtain the Spirit is
that which is here marked out so plainly in the Scriptures.
There is no other. Obedience, therefore, to these principles
is absolutely necessary, in order to obtain the salvation and
exaltation brought to light through the gospel.

As to the question of authority, nearly everything de-
pends upon it. No ordinance can be performed to the ac 7
ceptance of God without divine authority. No matter how
fervently men may believe or pray, unless they are endowed
with divine authority they can only act in their own name,
and not legally nor acceptably in the name of Jesus Christ, in
whose name .all these things must be done. Some suppose
this authority may be derived from the Bible, but nothing
could be more absurd. The Bible is but a book containing
the writings- of inspired men, "profitable for doctrine, for
reproof, for correction and instruction in righteousness/' as
such we hold it is sacred ; but the Spirit, power and author-
ity by which it is written cannot be found within its lids, nor
derived from it. "For prophecy came not in old time by
the will of man; but holy men of God spake as they were
moved by the Holy Ghost." If by reading and believing
the Bible this authority could be obtained, all who read the
Bible and believed it would have it — one equally with an-
other. I have read the Bible, and I have as good reason for
believing it as any other man, and do believe it with all my
heart; but this does not give me authority to teach men in
the name of the Lord, nor to officiate in the sacred ordin-
ances of the gospel. Were the Scriptures the only source
of knowledge, we would be without knowledge for our-
selves, and would have to rest our hopes of salvation upon
a simple belief in the testimonies and sayings of others.
This will not do for me; I must know for myself, and if I
act as a teacher of these things, I must be clothed with
the same light, knowledge and authority as those were who
acted in a similar calling anciently. Else how could I de-

126 GOSPEL DOCTRINE

clare the truth and bear testimony as they did ? What right
would I have to say, "thus saith the Lord," and call upon
man to repent and be baptized in the name of the Lord ? or,
that "This Jesus hath God raised up [from the dead],
whereof we all [the apostles] are witnesses"? And", there-
fore, let all men "know assuredly that God hath made that
same Jesus," who was crucified, "both Lord and Christ"?
No man, without the Holy Ghost, as enjoyed by the ancient
apostles, can know these things, therefore cannot declare
them by authority, nor teach and prepare mankind for the
salvation of God. God Almighty is the only source from
whence this knowledge, power and authority can be ob-
tained, and that through the operations of the Holy Ghost.
The Scriptures may serve as a guide to lead us to God, and
hence to the possession of all things necessary to life and
salvation, but they can do no more.

Having profited by this example, and done the works
commanded by both Christ and his apostles, ancient and
modern, I am happy of the privilege to declare to the inhab-
itants of the earth that I have received this testimony and
witness for myself. I do know that these things are true.
Jesus, my Redeemer, lives, and God hath made him both
Lord and Christ. To know and to worship the true God, in
the name of Jesus — in spirit and in truth — is the duty of
man. To aid and qualify him for this service is the duty
and office of the Holy Ghost. Man may fail through fal-
tering and unfaithfulness, but the Spirit of God will never
fail, nor abandon the faithful disciple. I can say as one who
has tried the experiment — for it may be called an experi-
ment to the beginner — that all who will take the course and
accept the doctrine thus marked out' will, through faithful-
ness, become acquainted with the truth, and shall know of
the doctrine, whether it be of God or of man, and will re-
joice in it as all good, faithful Latter-day Saints do.

Here is an ordinance which we are now administering,

FIRST PRINCIPLES OF THE GOSPEL 127

the Sacrament of the Lord's Supper; it is a principle of the
gospel, one as necessary to be observed by all believers, as
any other ordinance of the gospel. What is the object of it?
It is that we may keep in mind continually the Son of God
who has redeemed us from eternal death, and brought us
to life again through the power of the gospel. Before the
coming of Christ to the earth, this was borne in mind by the
inhabitants of the earth to whom the gospel was preached,
by another ordinance which was a type of the great sacrifice
that should take place in the meridian of time. Hence,
Adam, after he was cast out of the garden, was commanded
to offer sacrifices to God ; by this act, he and all who partici-
pated in the offering of sacrifices, were reminded of the
Savior who should come to redeem them from death which,
were it not for the atonement wrought out by him, would
forever exclude them from dwelling in the presence of God
again. But in his coming and death, this commandment
was fulfilled; and he instituted the Supper and commanded
his followers to partake of this in all time to come, in order
that they may remember him, bearing in mind that he had
redeemed them, also that they had covenanted to keep his
commandments and to walk with him in the regeneration.
Hence it is necessary to partake of the Sacrament, as a wit-
ness to him that we do remember him, are willing to keep
the commandments he has given us, that we may have his
Spirit to be with us always— even to the end, and also that
we may continue in the forgiveness of sins.

In various dispensations there are various differences
in regard to certain requirements of the gospel. For in-
stance, in the day of Noah, when he preached the gospel to
the antediluvian world, he was given a special command-
ment to build an ark, that in case the people would reject
him and the message sent unto them, that himself and all
who believed on him might be saved from the destruction
that awaited them. In this dispensation there is a principle

128 GOSPEL DOCTRINE

or commandment peculiar to it. What is that? It is the
gathering the people unto one place. The gathering of this
people is as necessary to be observed by believers, as faith,
repentance, baptism, or any other ordinance. It is an essen-
tial part of the gospel of this dispensation, as much so as the
necessity of building an ark by Noah, for his deliverance,
was a part of the gospel of his dispensation. Then the world
was destroyed by a flood, now it is to be destroyed by war,
pestilence, famine, earthquakes, storms, and tempests, the
sea rolling beyond its bounds, malarious vapors, vermin, dis-
ease, and by fire and the lightnings of God's wrath poured
out for destruction upon Babylon. The cry of the angel
unto the righteous of this dispensation is, "Come out of her,
my people, that ye be not partakers of her sins, and that ye
receive not of her plagues." (Rev. 18:4.)

We believe also in the principle of direct revelation from
God to man.

This is a part of the gospel, but it is not peculiar to
this dispensation. It is common in all ages and dispensa-
tions of the gospel. The gospel cannot be administered, nor
the Church of God continue to exist, without it. Christ is
the head of his Church and not man, and the connection can
only be maintained upon the principle of direct and contin-
uous revelation. It is not a hereditary principle, it cannot
be handed down from father to son, nor from generation to
generation, but is a living, vital principle to be enjoyed on
certain conditions only, namely — through absolute- faith in
God and obedience to his laws and commandments. The
moment this principle is cut off, that moment the Church
is adrift, being severed from its ever-living head. In this
condition it cannot continue, but must cease to be the
Church of God, and like the ship at sea, without captain,
compass or rudder, is afloat at the mercy of the storms
and the waves of ever contending human passions, and
worldly interests, pride and folly, finally to be wrecked upon
the strand of priestcraft and superstition. The religious

FIRST PRINCIPLES OF THE GOSPEL 129

world is in this condition today, ripening for the great de-
struction which awaits them, but there is an ark prepared
for such as are worthy of eternal life, in the gathering of
the Saints to the chambers of the Almighty, where they
shall be preserved until the indignation of God is passed.

Marriage is also a principle or ordinance of the gospel,
most vital to the happiness of mankind, however unimpor-
tant it may seem, or lightly regarded by many. There is no
superfluous or unnecessary principle in the plan of life,
but there is no principle of greater importance or more es-
sential to the happiness of man — not only here, but espe-
cially hereafter, than that of marriage. Yet all are neces-
sary. What good would it be to one to be baptized and
receive not the Holy Ghost? And suppose he went a little
further and received the Holy Ghost, thereby obtaining the
testimony of Jesus, and then stopped at that, what good
would it do him ? None whatever, but would .add to his
condemnation, for it would be as burying his talent in the
earth. To secure the fulness of the blessings, we must
receive the fulness of the gospel. Yet men will be judged
and rewarded according to their works. "To him that
knoweth to do good and cloeth it not, to him it is sin."
Those who receive a part of the gospel with light and knowl-
edge to comprehend other principles, and yet do not obey
them, will come under this law, hence condemnation will
be added unto such, and that which they did receive may be
taken from them and added to them who are more worthy.

Obedience is a requirement of heaven, and is therefore
a principle of the gospel. Are all required to be obedient?
Yes, all. What, against their will? O, no, not by any
means. There is no power given to man, nor means lawful
to be used to compel men to obey the will of God, against
their wish, except persuasion and good advice, but there is
a penalty attached to disobedience, which all must suffer
who will not obey the obvious truths or laws of heaven. I
believe in the sentiment of the poet:

10

130 GOSPEL DOCTRINE

"Know this, that every soul is free
To choose his life and what he'll be ;
For this eternal truth is given,
That God will force no man to heaven.

"He'll call, persuade, direct aright,
And bless with wisdom, love and light,
In nameless ways be good and kind,
But never force the human mind."

Is it a difficult task to obey the gospel? No. It is an
easy matter to those who possess the spirit of it. Most of
this congregation can testify that the gospel "yoke is easy,
and the burden light." Those who have embraced it will be
judged according to their works therein, whether they be
good or evil. To such as are untrue to their covenants it
may be said, by and by, "Depart from me!" In vain will
they plead their former good works, and faith. Why? Be-
cause the race is not to the swift nor the battle always to
the strong, but to him that endures faithful to the end.
We must save ourselves from this untoward generation.
It is a continual labor, but the strength of the righteous will
be sufficient for their day. Jesus said, "In my Father's house
are many mansions." There' is a glory, or mansion, of
which the sun is typical, another of which the moon is typ-
ical, and still another like unto the stars, and in this latter
the condition of its occupants will differ as the stars differ
in appearance. Every man will receive according to his
works and knowledge. "These are they who are of Paul
and of Apollos, and of Cephas. These are they who say
they are some of one and some of another — some of Christ
and some of John, and some of Moses, and some of Elias,
and some of Esaias, and some of Isaiah, and some of Enoch ;
but 'received not the gospel, neither the testimony of Jesus."
(Doc. and Cov. 76:100-1.) Thus, impartial justice will be
meted out unto all, and none will be lost but the sons of per-
dition. — Journal of Discourses, Vol. 14, p. 266.

CHAPTER VIII

The Church and the Man

The Church in Advance of Its Members. "The
modern 'Mormon' is far in advance of 'MormonismV The
very reverse of this statement is the truth. "Mormonism"
is far in advance of the modern or any other class of "Mor-
mons." For not one member of the Church in one hundred,
and perhaps not a single member in the whole Church is able
to reach the high standards of faith, virtue, honor and truth
inculcated in the gospel of Jesus Christ. — 'Juvenile In-
structor, Vol. 41, p. 144, March 1, 1906.

The Gospel the Most Important Thing. The re-
ligion which we have espoused is not a Sunday religion ; it
is not a mere profession ; it is a most — I was going to say —
a most terrible reality — and I believe I would be justified
in using that expression, because it savors of life unto life
or. of death unto death. If it is, and pardon me for using
that expression, if it is what we profess it to be, what we
have embraced it for, what we believe it to be as members
of the Church of Jesus Christ of Latter-day Saints, it is the
most important thing in the world to us, and the results to
us in this world and in the world to come will depend upon
our integrity to the truth and our consistency in observing
its precepts, in abiding by its principles, and its requirements.
— Apr. C. R., 1916, p. 2.

Personal Advancement .is Help to the Church.
Whoever will labor for his own welfare, for his own salva-
tion and upbuilding in the knowledge of those principles
which draw men nearer to God and make them more like
unto him, fitting them better for the performance of the du-
ties required at their hands, is in like manner building up the
Church.— Apr. C. R., 1914, p. 2.

132 GOSPEL DOCTRINE

Covenants of the Latter-day Saints. Among the
covenants are these, that they will cease from sin and from all
unrighteousness; that they will work righteousness in their
lives ; that they will abstain from the use of intoxicants, from
the use of strong drinks of every description, from the use
of tobacco, from every vile thing, and from extremes in
every phase of life; that they will not take the name of God
in vain; that they will not bear false witness against their
neighbor; that they will seek to love their neighbors as
themselves; to carry out the golden rule of the Lord, do
unto others as they would that others should do unto them.
These principles are involved in the covenants that the peo-'
pie have made in the Church of Jesus Christ of Latter-day
Saints, and it is expected that the officers and presiding
authorities in the Church shall see to it that the members
of the Church of Jesus Christ of Latter-day Saints will
keep these covenants that they have made with the Lord,
and that they will observe these principles and adapt them
to their lives and carry them out, that they may be indeed
the salt of the earth ; not salt that has lost its savor and is
good for nothing but to be cast out and trodden under the
foot of men, but salt that has its savor and that is whole-
some ; that the people of God may be a light unto this gen-
eration and unto the world; that men may see your good
works and glorify your Father which is in heaven; and
that notwithstanding enemies, who are filled with the spirit
of persecution and who say all manner of evil things against
the Latter-day Saints, those who have entered into the cove-
nant of the gospel, will keep the commandments of the Lord,
will obey the dictates of the Spirit of the Lord unto them, will
work righteousness in the earth, and will go right on in the
path that Almighty God has marked out for them to pur-
sue, fulfiling and accomplishing his will and his purposes
concerning them in the latter day. — Oct. C. R. } 1904, pp. 4, 5.

THE CHURCH AND THE MAN 133

A Privilege to be Associated with the Church.
I esteem it a great privilege to be permitted to live and be
associated with my brethren and sisters in the great cause in
which we are engaged. Personally, I have nothing but this
cause to live for, for the rest of my life. It has been very
much, almost entirely the object of life with me, ever since
my childhood; and I am very thankful that I have had the
privilege of being connected with the missionary work of
the Church, and I hope and trust that I may be able to con-
tinue in this ministry the remainder of my days. I feel in
my heart that there is nothing greater for me, or for any
other man living, than to be identified with the cause of
truth, and I verily believe that we are engaged in the cause
of truth, and not error. — Apr. C, R., 1912, p. 2.

Worth of a Standing in the Church. My standing
in the Church is worth to me more than this life — ten thou-
sand times. For in this I have life everlasting. In this I
have the glorious promise of the associations of my loved
ones throughout all eternity. In obedience to this work, in
the gospel of Jesus Christ, I shall gather around me my fam-
ily, my children, my children's children, until they, become
as numerous as the seed of Abraham, or as countless as the
sands upon the sea shore. For this is my right and privilege,
and the right and privilege of every member of the Church
of Jesus Christ of Latter-day Saints who holds the priest-
hood and will magnify it in the sight of God. Without it,
there is death and desolation — disintegration and disinher-
itance; without it there may be a chance to become a min-
istering spirit, a servant unto servants throughout the end-
less ages; but in this gospel there is a chance to become a
son of God, in the image and likeness of the Father and of
his Only Begotten Son in the flesh. I would rather take
my boys and my girls to the grave, while they are innocent,
than to see them entrapped in the wickedness, the unbelief,

134 GOSPEL DOCTRINE

and the spirit of apostasy so prevalent in the world, and be
led away from the gospel of salvation. — Apr. C. R., 1912, pp.
136, 137.

Importance of Having Names on Church Records.
Some people may not care very much whether their names
are recorded or not, but this comes from ignorance of the
consequences. If their names are not recorded they will
not only be cut off from the assistance which they would
be entitled to from the Church, if they needed it, but they
will be cut off i rom the ordinances of the house of God ;
they will be cut asunder from their dead and from their
fathers who have been faithful, or from those who shall
come after them who shall be faithful, and they will be ap-
pointed their portion with the unbelievers, where there is
weeping and gnashing of teeth. It means that you will be
cut off from your fathers and mothers, from your husbands,
your wives, your children, and that you shall have no por-
tion or lot or inheritance in the kingdom of God, both in
time and in eternity. It has a very serious and far-reaching
effect.— Oct. C. R., 1899, p. 42.

Secret Organizations. The Church of Jesus Christ
of Latter-day Saints is good enough for me and my family,
and I have no time nor means to associate myself with organ-
izations that are not of this Church and which have simply
for their object the laying up of something for my wife to
have after I am dead. I cannot afford to do it for this rea-
son : the Lord has seen fit to give me from day to day jusf
sufficient for my needs, and if I were to join these associa-
tions for the purpose of looking after the future of my fam-
ily, I would be compelled to neglect paying my tithing, and
present duties, because I would not have means enough to
pay my tithing and my dues for these associations. We have
known members of the Church, who when they were asked
why they did not pay their tithing, confessed that they were
associated with organizations of one kind and another,

THE CHURCH AND THE MAN 135

wherein they were compelled to pay weekly or monthly cer-
tain sums of money; they had been associated with these
institutions for a number of years, and had put quite a lot
of money in them ; and now, if they did not continue to pay
their dues they would lose all they had put in, then in case
of death their families would lose the premium. From
this you can see they are in bondage to these secret organ-
izations, and if they want to pay tithing they cannot do
it. Well, if they do not, they will be among those whose
names will not be found recorded in the book of the law of
the Lord and who will not have inheritance in the Zion of
God. Furthermore, we have called some of these men to go
on missions, but they could not go to preach the gospel to
the nations of the earth. Why? Because they belonged
to certain secret associations, and they were compelled to
be at work all the time in order to pay their dues, or they
would lose what they had put in them. — Oct. C. R., 1899,
p. 40.

Secret Societies. It is a well known truth that the
counsel of the First Presidency of the Church, in all cases,
has been and is against our brethren joining secret organ-
izations for any purpose whatsoever, and that wherever any
of them have already joined, they have been and are coun-
seled to withdraw themselves from such organizations, as
soon as circumstances permit and wisdom dictates. In tak-
ing this position, there has not been, neither is it intended
that there shall be, any controversy with the societies, and
with their aims and objects. The merits of the various or-
ders are not considered at all; their aims may be ever so
worthy and their objects ever so commendable. That mat-
ter does not enter into the discussion, so far as a member of
our Church is concerned.

The gospel of Jesus Christ is true, and is a power unto
salvation, temporal and spiritual. A man who complies in
every respect therewith has everything that any society can

136 GOSPEL DOCTRINE

offer, with countless truths and consolations added: "But
seek ye first the kingdom of God, and his righteousness;
and all these things shall be added unto you." The Church
is divinely organized, and in that organization there is pro-
vision for the development and practice of every virtue
known, every charity revealed. For this reason and for
its promises of eternal life and glory, the gospel, and the
Church divinely established for its promulgation, should be
nearer and dearer to a follower of Christ than all other
things. "No man can serve two masters; for either he will
hate the one, and love the other; or else he will hold to the
one and despise the other. Ye cannot serve God and Mam-
mon."

The members of our Church who have faith to heed
the advice of the authorities thereof, will not ally them-
selves, under any pretense, with any organization not insti-
tuted by the Lord for the building up of Zion. Neither will
they, for any consideration, allow themselves to imbibe the
spirit of the world, or be tempted to lose their faith, which
will be the result with those who divide their interests, de-
voting some to other organizations. This is the testimony
of those who have joined and who have later withdrawn.
Nothing can be permitted in the members that is calculated
to bring division and weakness to the Church, yet those who
have been led to join other institutions should not be dealt
with harshly, but should be made to understand the position
of the Church, and where it is so understood, they should
shape their affairs for withdrawal, in humility and repent-
ance, from that which threatens their standing. — Improve-
ment Era, Vol. 6, p. 305, February, 1903.

Gossip. The "Mormon" creed: "Mind your own busi-
ness," is a good motto for young people to adopt who wish
to succeed, and who wish to make the best use of their time
and lives. And when I say young people, it includes as well
aged and middle aged men and women.

THE CHURCH AND THE MAN 137

Let it be remembered that nothing is quite so contempt-
ible as idle gossip. Byron said a good thing when he put
into the mouth of Don Juan these words :

"In fact there's nothing makes me so much grieve
As that abominable tittle-tattle,
Which is the cud eschewed by human cattle."

How idle to go about whispering mysterious words here
and there — words often without foundation in fact, but ut-
tered with injurious intent, and perhaps with the idea jf
creating for the whisperer some imaginary respect, because
of his supposed possession of special knowledge! But such
action seldom bodes good, or sets upon the round of human
lips sentiments of appreciation for the excellent, the beauti-
ful, and the true, in a brother, neighbor, or friend. Such
gossip and meddling constantly hold to view the defects of
its subjects, and the scandals that are born fly as upon the
wings of eagles. To be thus engaged is a positive injury,
also, to the person so employed, because by constantly hold-
ing the defects of others in his own mind, he ruins his own
ability to see and appreciate the virtues of his fellows, thus
stifling his nobler self.

It is so very much better for a person to strive to de-
velop himself by observing all the good points he can find
in others, than to strangle the growth of his better self by
cherishing a fault-finding, sullen and intermeddling spirit.
The scriptures support this thought. The great Psalmist
says in substance in the fifteenth psalm: "He that back-
biteth not with his tongue, nor doeth evil to his neighbor,
nor taketh up a reproach against his neighbor, shall abide
in the tabernacle of the Lord, and never be moved." To
abide in the tabernacle of the Lord is to enjoy his Holy
Spirit. Now, he that taketh up a reproach against his
neighbor is in great danger of losing the Spirit of the Lord.

138 GOSPEL DOCTRINE

"But my neighbor has done this, that, or the other that is
forbidden by the law or the Church, or good usage, why
should I not set him right?" says one. Let that one ask
himself: "Is it my business?" The answer will suggest it-
self : If it is not my business, let me be wise enough to mind
my own business. For "he that refraineth his lips is wise,
and he that uttereth a slander is a fool ;" and, further, the
Lord declares through the Psalmist: "Whoso privily slan-
dereth his neighbor, him will I cut off."

Let it be the aim of the Saints to cultivate the spirit of
generosity and good-will, such as was exemplified in the life
of Christ, and proclaimed when the angels heralded abroad
the message: "Peace on earth, to men good will," and
which has been reiterated in the modern restoration of the
gospel. Watch constantly for that which is worthy and no-
ble in your fellow man. It makes a person better to see
and speak of good in his neighbor ; while there is unbounded
delight in observing the effect that a few words of apprecia-
tion and encouragement have upon men, women, and chil-
dren with whom we associate. Let those try it who really
wish to get the genuine sweets out of life.

The meddler, the gossip, the fault-finder, on the other
hand, soon ruin their own capacity for observing the better
side of human nature ; and, not .finding it in others, search
in vain for its influence in their own souls.

There is a wonderful field in the organizations of the
Church for the cultivation of all the virtues of the human
heart. It is the business of every officer and member of the
Church, and of her associations and organizations, to lead
out in doing good; to stand first in serviceable practices in
the gospel's atmosphere of sunshine and peace; to lift up
and not to cast down ; to encourage and not to repress ; to
dispense joy, and to drown sorrow; to refrain their lips
from slander and backbiting, and, by sweet temper and kind
words, to unfold the better side of human nature; to mind

THE CHURCH AND THE MAN 139

their own business, and not to unduly criticise, and not to
find fault, nor to delight in tale-bearing, scandal, envy, and
gossip.

This advice heeded, our social ethics would soon show
wonderful improvement; happiness, beauty of disposition,
love, and moral cleanliness, would increase among the
Saints; the Spirit of God would delight to dwell in their
midst, and the best qualities of the people would unfold and
develop like the rose in the warm sunshine of June. —
Improvement Era, Vol. 6, p. 388, March, 1903.

We Want to be Known as We Are. We want to be
known as we are. We want to be seen in our true light.
We want the world to become acquainted with us. We want
them to learn our doctrine, to understand our faith, our pur-
poses, and the organization of the Church of Jesus Christ of
Latter-day Saints. We would like them to know something
about the origin of this work, but we desire that they shall
see this work in the true spirit of it, and the only way this
can be brought about is by the inquiring, intelligent world
coming in contact with us — those indeed who are disposed
to love truth and righteousness, and whose eyes are not so
blinded that they can not see the truth when it is presented
before them.— Oct. C. R., 1908, p. 3.

Treatment of Those Who Will Not Obey the Law
of the Church. It has occurred to me somewhat in this
way: that the body of the Church is likened to the body of
a man, and you know men do sometimes get their systems
a little deranged — that is to say, sometimes they are flea-
bitten. Fleas bite them and mosquitoes bite them and cause
little swellings to rise on their face and hands. Some-
times they have boils upon them, and carbuncles, sebaceous
tumors and other excresences, that only need the application
of the lance to let out the humor from them or to excise
them from the body, or cut them off and let them go, so
that the body may be cleansed from their poisonous effect.

140 GOSPEL DOCTRINE

It is so with the Church. From time to time there are char-
acters who become a law unto themselves, and they follow
the bent of their own "sweet will" until they get themselves
into a condition mentally and spiritually that they become a
menace to the body ecclesiastic. In other words, they be-,
come like a boil, tumor or carbuncle on the body, you have
to call in the surgeon to apply the knife to cut them out
that the body may be cleansed from them; and this has
been the case from the beginning. — Apr. C. R., 1905, p. 5.

Latter-day Saints Must be Thinkers and Workers.
To be Latter-day Saints men and women must be thinkers
and workers; they must be men and women who weigh
matters in their minds ; men and women who consider care-
fully their course of life and the principles that they have
espoused. Men cannot be faithful Latter-day Saints unless
they study and understand, to some extent at least, the prin-
ciples of the gospel that they have received. When you hear
people, who profess to be Latter-day Saints, running off on
tangents, on foolish notions and one-horse, cranky ideas,
things that are obviously opposed to reason and to good
sense, opposed to principles of righteousness and to the word
of the Lord that has been revealed to men, you should
know at once that they have not studied the principles of
the gospel, and do not know very much about the gospel.
When people understand the gospel of Jesus Christ, you
will see them walking straightforward, according to the
word of the Lord and the law of God, strictly in accordance
with that which is consistent, just, righteous, and in every
sense acceptable to the Lord who only accepts of that which
is right and pleasing in his sight ; for only that which is right
is pleasing unto him. — Improvement Era, Vol. 14, 1910, p. 72.

The Identity of the Church Unchanged. We have
a double guide and a double assurance in reaching our cor-
rect conclusions concerning the perfect identity of the

THE CHURCH AND THE MAN 141

Church now and the Church in the days of its first prophet.
The spirit of loyalty and devotion, together with love for the
work of building up Zion, characterize the Saints, while the
devil rages now in the same manner that he did then. The
spirit, on both sides of the controversy, is so identical that it
is hard to imagine that any thoughtful Latter-day Saint can
be deceived over the situation as it exists today.

By their fruits ye shall know them. The devil caused
men to rage over the Nauvoo House, the building of the
Nauvoo Temple, the Prophet's Nauvoo brick store, and the
material prosperity of the Saints in that beautiful city on
the banks of the Mississippi; he causes men to rave over
so-called "commercialism" today. Envy was rampant then.
It is just as deadly now. — Juvenile Instructor, Vol. 40, p.
497, August 15, 1905, .

No Classes or Nationalities in the Church. The
brotherhood and common interests in the Church of Jesus
Christ of Latter-day Saints are among the great character-
istics of our faith, and whatever, therefore, tends to estab-
lish class distinctions either in society or nationalities should
be discouraged in every way possible. God is no respecter
of persons, neither does he glorify one class to the disadvan-
tage of another.

A striking peculiarity of the Saints gathered from all
parts of the earth is that they are almost universally of the
blood of Ephraim. If they have received the Holy Ghost
they are of one spirit, so that whatever creates a discord in
the spirit and unity of the Saints is of evil origin. The
Spirit of God never begets strife, nor does it set up and
insist on distinctions among those who have been its recip-
ients.

There has been in some people's minds the thought that
this or that nationality was entitled to certain recognition
because of its large numbers or prominence in certain re-
spects. The affairs of the Church are not carried on with

142 GOSPEL DOCTRINE

respect to what is good or bad policy — there is no policy in
the Church, but that of wisdom and truth, and everyone
of its members should thoroughly understand that distinc-
tions both in classes and nationalities are odious and out of
harmony with the discipline and spirit of Church govern-
ment. If a man of one or another nationality is honored
by any important call, it is because of the spirit in the man,
and not because of his nationality, and the Saints may be
certain that when any man makes a demand for recognition
it is an assumption on his part, and is not in harmony with
the life and spirit of our Master. — Juvenile Instructor, Vol.
37, p. 658, November 1, 1902.

No Neutrals in the Church. In Christ's Church we
cannot be neutral or inert. We must either progress or retro-
grade. It is necessary for the Latter-day Saints to keep
pushing on in order that they may keep their faith alive
and their spirits quickened to the performance of their du-
ties. Let us remember that we are engaged in God's work
— and when I say God's work, I mean that we are engaged
in the work which the Almighty has instituted in the earth
for our salvation individually. Every man should be labor-
ing for his own good and as far as possible for the good of
others. There is no such thing in the science of life as a
man laboring exclusively for himself. We are not intended
to be alone in time nor in eternity. Each individual is a
unit in the household of faith, and .each unit must feel his
or her proportion of the responsibility that devolves upon the
whole. Each individual must be diligent in performing his
duty. By doing this, and keeping himself pure and un-
spotted from the world, he assists others to keep them-
selves pure and unspotted. For instance, a man who is faith-
ful in observing the Sabbath day and in attending to the
duties of that day will at least set an example unto all with
whom he is associated. The man who is prayerful before the

THE CHURCH AND THE MAN 143

. Lord will set an example before all others who see and know
his conduct. The man who is honest in dealing with his
neighbor will set an example for good. Those who do this
are genuine representatives of Zion ; they are the children of
God indeed and of a truth, and there rests with them the
spirit of light and the love of God. They are in a saved
condition, and will continue to be in a saved condition so
long as they continue to observe the principles of the gospel.
It is useless for us to mourn over the evils that we ourselves
have caused, unless by repentance we may make restitution
for the evils we have done. It is a terrible thing for men
and women to allow themselves to go so far in the neglect
of duty that evils will result from their misconduct which
they will be powerless thereafter to eradicate or to make
restitution for. — Sermon, Sunday, June 12, 1898.

Don't Have Religious Hobbies. Brethren and sisters,
don't have hobbies. Hobbies are dangerous in the Church of
Christ. They are dangerous because they give undue prom-
inence to certain principles or ideas to the detriment and
dwarfing of others just as important, just as binding, just
as saving as the favored doctrines or commandments.

Hobbies give to those who encourage them a false
aspect of the gospel of the Redeemer; they distort and
place out of harmony its principles and teachings. The
point of view is unnatural. Every principle and practice
revealed from God is essential to man's salvation and to
place any one of them unduly in the front, hiding and dim-
ming all others is unwise and dangerous ; it jeopardizes
our salvation, for it darkens our minds and beclouds our
understandings. Such a view, no matter to what point di-
rected, narrows the vision, weakens the spiritual perception,
and darkens the mind, the result of which is that the person
thus afflicted with this perversity and contraction of mental
vision places himself in a position to be tempted of the evil

144 GOSPEL DOCTRINE

one, or through dimness of sight or distortion of vision, to
misjudge his brethren and give way to the spirit of apos-
tasy. He is not square before the Lord.

We have noticed this difficulty: that Saints with hob-
bies are prone to judge and condemn their brethren and
sisters who are not as zealous in the one particular direction
of their pet theory as they are. The man with the Word
of Wisdom only on his brain, is apt to find unmeasured fault
with every other member of the Church who entertains lib-
eral ideas as to the importance of other doctrines of the
gospel.

There is another phase of this difficulty — the man with
a hobby is apt to assume an *"I am holier than thou" posi-
tion, to feel puffed up and conceited, and to look with dis-
trust, if with no severer feeling, on his brethren and sisters
who do not so perfectly live that one particular law. This
feeling hurts his fellow-servants and offends the Lord.
"Pride goeth before destruction, and an haughty spirit
before a fall." (Prov. 16:18.)

There are some great truths in the plan of redemption
that are fundamental. They cannot be ignored; none oth-
ers can be placed before them. The fatherhood of God, the
efficacy of the atonement of our Lord and Savior, the res-
toration of the gospel in these latter days, must be accepted
with our whole hearts. We cannot compensate for a lack
of faith in these essential doctrines by the most absolute
abstinence from things unhealthful, by the rigid payment
of tithing on our "anise and cummin/" or by the observ-
ance of any other outward ordinance. Baptism itself with-
out faith in God avails nothing. — Juvenile Instructor, Vol.
37, pp. 176-177, March, 1902.

Wealth Does Not Bring Church Favors. The idea
should never gain ground that the rich man in the Church
is entitled to any more consideration than the humblest

THE CHURCH AND THE MAN 145

member. Men of superior virtues and powers, whether
those virtues and powers be represented in the ability to
gain wealth, to acquire education, or to display genius and
wisdom, will always occupy a commanding place in the so-
cial, the business, and the religious world.

It is one thing, however, to respect wealth and its
powers, and quite another to become mere sycophants to it.
Neither the Church, nor its blessings nor favors, have ever
been, from its organization, submissive to or purchasable
by the mammon of this world. No man need to hope that he
can buy the gifts of God. Those who attempt to buy the
treasures of heaven will perish, and their wealth will perish
with them. Wealth may wield an undue influence and gain
prestige in society, even though its possessor may be greatly
wanting in moral worthiness. And being a power in itself,
may be a danger through the opportunities for corruption
and seduction. Those, therefore, who have listened to the
fallacious arguments of the advantages of wealth and its
power, independent of virtue, have in store for them a great
disappointment if they act upon any such false theories.

The trouble is, that young men are very apt to mistake
a friendly and cordial greeting to those in possession of
wealth for a genuine friendship and sincere confidence. The
unworthy rich should be as much the object of our pity as
the unworthy poor. Those who imagine that wealth may be
substituted for virtue are certainly doomed to disappoint-
ment;' and yet men sometimes foolishly and enviously
suggest that the highest social recommendation and religious
standing as well as the sincere friendship of the pure in heart
are subject to the command of the mammon of unrighteous-
ness.

The money offered by Simon the sorcerer to the apos-
tles for the gifts they possessed were spurned by them, and
a curse pronounced both upon him and his wealth. (See

146 GOSPEL DOCTRINE

Acts S:\4-2i.)— Juvenile Instructor, Vol. 40, pp. 593, 594,
October 1, 1905.

The Gospel Causes Disturbance. In truth the gos-
pel is carrying us against the stream of passing humanity.
We get in the way of purely human affairs and disturb the
current of life in many ways and in many places. People
who are comfortably located and well provided for, do not
like to be disturbed. It angers them, and they would settle
things once for all in the most drastic manner. The effects
of certain causes are so unlike anything we have ever known
that we are not safe in making philosophy our guide ; much
less are we safe in making those our guide who have some
sort of selfish philosophy which they are anxious that others
should follow. Those who defend us do so not infrequently
with an apologetic air. The Saints are never safe in follow-
ing the protests and counsels of those who would have us
ever and always in harmony with the world. We have our
particular mission to perform ; and that we may perform it in
consonance with divine purposes, we are running counter
to the ways of man. We are made unpopular. The contempt
of the world is on us, and we are the unloved child among
the peoples of the earth.

"Having Done All, Stand." There are people who
are courageous in doing all they can to bring about certain
results. They will combat evils and resist the wrongs that
are inflicted upon them and upon others; but when they
have been defeated, when they see a just cause suffer, and
evilly disposed men triumphant, they give up. What is the
use? That is the question uppermost in their minds. They
see wicked men apparently successful. They see men of evil
repute honored by their fellow men until they are almost
persuaded that fate has her rewards for wrong doing. With
them, what appears to be a lost cause inspires no hope. It is
lost, they say, and we shall have to make the best of it, and

THE CHURCH AND THE MAN 147

let it go. They are at heart discouraged. Some almost ques-
tion the purposes of Providence. They have the courage of
men who are brave at heart, but they have not the courage
of faith.

How different it was with Paul ! He had labored fear-
lessly, he had delivered a divine message, he had resisted the
enemy, and they apparently triumphed over him. He was
taken prisoner and subjected to humiliating treatment by the
administrators of the law. He was in bonds, and death
awaited him, but he was still courageous. His was the cour-
age of faith. Read these stirring words of his sent to the
Ephesians, recorded in Ephesians 6:13, sent when most men
would have thought their cause lost: "Wherefore take un-
to you the whole armor of God, that ye may be able to with-
stand in the evil day, and having done all, to stand."

After we have done all we could do for the cause of
truth, and withstood the evil that men have brought upon us,
and we have been overwhelmed by their wrongs, it is still
our duty to stand. We cannot give up; we must not lie
down. Great causes are not won in a single generation. To
stand firm in the face of overwhelming opposition, when you
have done all you can, is the courage of faith. The courage
of faith is the courage of progress. Men who possess that
divine quality go on; they are not permitted to stand still
if they would. They are not simply the creatures of their
own power and wisdom; they are instrumentalities of a
higher law and a divine purpose.

Others would quit, they would avoid trouble. When it
comes, it is to them most unfortunate. It is really too bad.
In their minds it might have been avoided. They want to
square themselves with the world. The decree of the world
has gone forth, why withstand it? "We have withstood
evil," they say, "and it has overwhelmed us. Why stand
longer?" Such men read history, if at all, only as they
make it; they cannot see the hand of God in the affairs of

148 GOSPEL DOCTRINE

men, because they see only with the eye of man and not
with the eye of faith. All resistance is gone out of them —
they have left God out of the question. They have not put
on his whole armor. Without it they are loaded down with
fear and apprehension, and they sink. To such men every-
thing that brings trouble seems unnecessary. As Saints
of God, it is our duty "to stand," even when we are over-
whelmed by evil.

"And I give unto you a commandment, that ye shall
forsake all evil and cleave unto all good, that ye shall live
by every word which pfoceedeth forth out of the mouth of
God;

"For he will give unto the faithful, line upon line, pre-
cept upon precept ; and I will try you and prove you here-
with ;

"And whoso layeth down his life in my cause, for niy
name's sake, shall find it again, even life eternal ;

"Therefore be not afraid of your enemies, for^I have
decreed in my heart, saith the Lord, that I will prove you
in all things, whether you will abide in my covenant,
even unto death, that you may be found worthy ;

"For if ye will not abide in my covenant, ye are not
worthy of me" (Doc. and Cov. 98:11-15). — Juvenile In-
structor, Aug. 15, 1904, Vol. 39, p. 496, 497.

Not Naturally Religious. Some people persist in
saying on occasion that they are not naturally religious. Do
they mean by this that attending meetings, taking part in
ward worship, teaching and preaching, are not congenial to
them? Or, do they mean more? Perhaps the moral re-
strictions governing an active worker in the Church are
not congenial to them. They reason that it is better to
make no pretensions than to make more than one can live
up to ; and so they excuse themselves by declaring they are
naturally not religious.

But religion is not outward show and pretense, and

THE CHURCH AND THE MAN 149

being religious does not altogether consist in compliance
with outward forms, even when these are the ordinances
of the gospel. Neither is it an unfailing sign that a person
is conscientious who takes an active part in organizations of
the Church. Evil men may use these for selfish and wicked
purposes. I have known men who joined our organizations
for such ends, and men who have been baptized who never
repented.

Then what is religion ? James declares : "Pure religion
and undefiled before God and the Father is this: To visit
the fatherless and widows in their affliction, and to keep
himself unspotted from the world." This may be inter-
preted as meaning that a person who is religious is thought-
ful to the unfortunate, and has an inner spirit that prompts
to deeds of kindness and to the leading of a blameless life;
who is just, truthful; who does not, as Paul says, think more
highly of himself than he ought to think ; who is affectionate,
patient in tribulation, diligent, cheerful, fervent in spirit,
hospitable, merciful; and who abhors evil and cleaves to
that which is good. The possession of such a spirit and feel-
ing is a true sign that a person is naturally religious.

The Church's outward ordinances and requirements are
but necessary — yet they are necessary — aids to the inner
spiritual life. The Church itself, the organization, meetings,
ordinances, requirements, are only helps, but very neces-
sary helps, to the practice of true religion — school-masters
to direct us in the way of eternal light and truth.

Young man, do not say that you are not naturally re-
ligious, and so make that an excuse for evil deeds and for-
bidden acts, and for not identifying yourselves with the or-
ganizations of the Church, and by such course perhaps
smothering the Spirit of God within you, possessed as a
birthright, or received through the servants of the Lord by
the imposition of hands. Be rather religious both in appear-
ance and in reality, remembering what true religion means.

150 GOSPEL DOCTRINE

Even as the testimony of Jesus is the spirit of prophecy, so is
the possession of the knowledge that you love purity, right-
eousness, honesty, justice and well-doing, an indisputable evi-
dence that you are naturally religious. Search your hearts,
and you will find deep down that you possess this knowl-
edge. Then encourage its growth and development to the
gaining of your own salvation. The Church and its quo-
rums and organizations will help you, and the living, loving
God will add his bounteous blessings. — Improvement Era,
1905-6, Vol. 9, pp. 493-495.

Strive to be as Broad as the Gospel. The gospel of
Jesus Christ, properly taught and understood, inculcates
broadness, force, and power. It makes intellectually broad
and valiant men. It gives to men good, sound judgment in
affairs temporal as well as spiritual. These are reasons why
it is worth a young man's while to embrace it. Outside of
the gospel of Jesus Christ, as taught by the Latter-day
Saints, and sometimes within the fold, we frequently look
about us and see people who incline to extremes, who are
fanatical. We may be sure that this class of people do not
understand the gospel. They have forgotten, if they ever
knew, that it is very unwise to take a fragment of truth and
treat it as if it were the whole thing.

While the first principles of the gospel, faith in God,
repentance, baptism for the remission of sins, and the lay-
ing on of hands for the reception of the Holy Ghost, the
healing of the sick, the resurrection, and, for that matter,
all the revealed principles of the gospel of Christ are neces-
sary and essential in the plan of salvation, it is neither good
policy nor sound doctrine to take any one of these, single
it out from the whole plan of gospel truth, make it a special
hobby, and depend upon it for our salvation and progress,
either in this world or in the world to come. They are all
necessary.

It should be the desire of the Latter-day Saints to be-

THE CHURCH AND THE MAN 151

come as big and broad as the gospel which has been di-
vinely revealed to them. They should, therefore, hold them-
selves open to the acceptance of all the truths of the gospel
that have been revealed, that are now being revealed, and
that will be revealed hereafter, and adopt them in the con-
duct of their daily lives. By honorable and upright living,
by obedience to the commandments of God, and by the aid of
the Holy Spirit, we shall place ourselves in a position to
work out our own salvation here and hereafter, "with fear
and trembling," it may be, but with absolute certainty.

This is a work that makes every soul who engages in
it big and broad. It is. a life-work worth the while of every
man in the world. — Improvement Era, 1911-12, Vol. 15, pp.
843-845.

Search and Ye shall Find. The fact is that every
principle of healing, every principle of the power of the
Holy Ghost, and of God, which have been manifested to the
Saints in all ages, have been bestowed upon the Latter-day
Saints. There is no principle, there is no blessing, there is
no advantage, there is no truth in any other religious soci-
ety or organization, which is not included in the gospel of
Jesus Christ as taught by Joseph Smith, the Prophet, and
after him by the leaders and elders of this Church; but it
requires some effort on our part, some exertion, some devo-
tion, to learn of and to enjoy these things. If we neglect
them, we are, of course, not the recipients of the blessings
that follow effort, and that come from a thorough under-
standing of these principles. Hence it is that others may
come in among us and advocate their ideas which, though
not comparing with ours in plainness, instruction, and truth,
are yet listened to by people who are made to believe that
all these things are new, and not contained in the gospel
of Jesus Christ as taught by the Latter-day Saints. This is a
fearful fallacy, and one that should be guarded against by
every one who loves the gospel.

152 GOSPEL DOCTRINE

In the Church of Jesus Christ of Latter-day Saints will
be found to a greater extent than in any other church, the
principles of life and salvation; and if we search them out
of our literature and learn them for ourselves, have them
confirmed by the Spirit, by right living, and make them a
part of ourselves, we shall find greater comfort and richer
blessings, greater treasures of everlasting life than in any
other teachings that may be given to us by any other or-
ganization upon the earth. — Improvement Era, May, 1909,
Vol. 12, p. 561.

The Spirit of Religion. A serious time will come in
every life. There is a parting of the ways. What you in-
dulge in will lead you up or down. I have no hesitancy in
declaring in the name of the Lord that the spirit which leads
you to complain that you are bored in attending the worship-
ing assemblies of the Saints has led or will lead you astray ;
and, on the other hand, that the young people who cultivate
the true spirit of worship, and find happiness and pleasure
in the associations of the Saints, and who care enough for
God and religion to support the Church and attend the
meetings, are the people whose moral and" spiritual influence
will control public sentiment and govern the rotate and na-
tion. In any conflict with indifference and the spirit of
worldly pleasure, moral influence and religious earnestness
will always conquer and rule. — Improvement Era, October,
1903, Vol. 6, p. 944.

The Meaning of Success. There are daily evidences
of a growing tendency among the masses of the civilized
world to regard success in life purely from the standpoint
of material advancement. The man who has a beautiful
home and a large Income is looked upon as a successful man.
People are constantly talking about the winners of fortune
in the contest for wealth. Men who are successful in obtain-
ing the honors bestowed by their fellowmen are envied as
among the most fortunate. Everywhere men hear the word

THE CHURCH AND THE MAN 153

success dwelt upon as if success were defined in a word and
as if the highest ambition of men and women was the ad-
vancement .of some worldly ambition.

All this rage about success simply indicates the gross
materialism of the age in which we live. Here is what a
Scate Commissioner of Education says to a graduating class :
"You need not expect that people will stand aside because
you have come. They are going to crowd you, and you will
have to crowd them. They will leave you behind unless
you leave them behind. " The meaning of such talk is that
to be successful you must take advantage of your fellow-
men ; you must crowd them out and leave them behind ; and
all because if you do not take advantage of them they will
take advantage of you.

After all, what is success, and who are competent to
judge? The great masses who lived in the days of Jesus
would have said that his life was a stupendous failure, that
his life and teachings ended in inglorious defeat. Even his
disciples were disappointed in his death, and their efforts
to perpetuate his name and teachings were covered with
ignominy and contempt. It was centuries before the success
of his life became apparent to the world. We can easily
comprehend, therefore, how it has taken centuries to ac-
complish achievements that were set in motion by some ob-
scure or despised personage. The triumph, therefore, of
Jesus would have been looked upon by his generation as
one of the paradoxes of history.

When the prophet Joseph Smith was slain, his enemies
rejoiced in what they considered the inglorious ending of
his life. They were sure that all he had done would end
with him and so they could pronounce his life a burlesque
and a failure. It will be seen from these instances that the
contemporaries of a man are not always competent to say
whether his life has been a success or a failure. A sound

154 GOSPEL DOCTRINE

judgment must await future generations, perhaps future
centuries.

If your neighbor today is a poor widow who rears, amid
the greatest struggles and in unbearable poverty, three or
four or half a dozen children, perhaps no one would say
of her life that it was a success, and yet there may be in
her offspring the embryo of future greatness, future gen-
erations may cover her motherhood with glory.

After all, one's success must be determined more by
the eternal (as well as the present) needs of man, than by
temporary standards which men erect in pursuance of the
spirit of the age in which they live. Certainly nothing is
more fatal to our well being than the notion that our present
and eternal welfare is founded upon the wealth and honors
of this world.

The great truth enunciated by the Savior seems very
generally to be lost) sight of in this generation, that it will
profit a man nothing though he should gain the whole world
if he lose his own soul.

The standard of success as declared by the word of God,
is the salvation of the soul. The greatest gift of God is
eternal life. — Juvenile Instructor, Sept. 15, 1904. Vol. 39, p.
561-62.

What is to Become of Such as Me, That there are
many good people in the world who believe the principles of
the gospel as taught by the Latter-day Saints, and yet,
through circumstances and environment, are not prepared
publicly to accept the same, is evidenced by the following
extract from a letter written by a reverend gentleman :

"What is to become of such as me, who believe this,
about you and yet are tied and bound by circumstances such
as mine? Here I have been a minister for fifty-five years.
I cannot change now if I would."

In answer to the question, "What is to become of such

THE CHURCH AND THE MAN 155

as me?" let it be said that every person will receive his
just reward for the good he may do and for his -every act.
But let it be remembered that all blessings which we shall
receive, either here or hereafter, must come to us as a
result of our obedience to the laws of God upon which these
blessings are predicated. Our 'friend will not be forgotten for
the kindness he has extended to the work and the servants
of the Lord, but will be remembeerd of Him and rewarded
for his faith and for every good deed and word. But there
are many blessings that result from obeying the ordinances
of the gospel, and acknowledging the priesthood authorized
of the Father and restored to the Church of Jesus Christ of
Latter-day Saints, that cannot be obtained until the person
is willing to comply with the ordinances and keep the com-
mandments revealed in our day for the salvation of man-
kind. The true searcher will see and understand this truth
and act upon it, either in this world or in the world to come,
and not until then, of course, may he claim all the blessings.
The earlier he accepts, the earlier will he obtain the blessings
and if he neglects to accept the laws in this world, knowing
them to be true, it is reasonable to suppose that disadvan-
tages will result that will cause him deep regret. — Improve-
ment Era, 1912-13, Vol. 16, pp. 70-72.

Rest for the Peaceable Followers of Christ. I
desire to call the attention of the Latter-day Saints to the
words of the Prophet Moroni, who says, in speaking of his
father's instructions to the ancient saints upon this conti-
nent :

"Wherefore I would speak unto you that are of the
Church, that are the peaceable followers of Christ, and
that have obtained a sufficient hope, by which ye can enter
into the rest of the Lord, from this time henceforth, until
ye shall rest with him in heaven."

This is a very significant passage. The rest here re-

156 GOSPEL DOCTRINE

ferred to is not physical rest, for there is no such thing as
physical rest in the Church of Jesus Christ. Reference is
made to the spiritual rest and peace which are born from
a setttled conviction of the truth in the minds of men. We
may thus enter into the rest of the Lord today, by coming
to an understanding of the trilths of the gospel. No peo-
ple is more entitled to this rest — this peace of the spirit —
than are members of the Church. It is true that not all are
unsettled. Not all need to seek this rest, for there are
many who now possess it, whose minds have become satis-
fied, and who have set their eyes upon the mark of their
high calling with an invincible determination in their hearts
to be steadfast in the truth, and who are treading in hu-
mility and righteousness the path marked out for the
Saints who are complacent followers of Jesus Christ. But
there are many who, not having reached this point of de-
termined conviction, are driven about by every wind of
doctrine, thus being ill at ease, unsettled, restless. These
are they who are discouraged over incidents that occur in
the Church, and in the nation and in the turmoils of men and
associations. They harbor a feeling of suspicion, unrest, un-
certainty. Their thoughts are disturbed, and they become
excited with the least change, like one at sea who has lo,st
his bearings.

Where would you have people go who are unsettled
in the truth ? The answer is plain. They will not find satis-
faction in the doctrines of men. Let them seek for it in the
written word of God; let them pray to him in their secret
chambers, where no human ear can hear, and in their
closets petition for light; let them obey the doctrines of
Jesus, and they will immediately begin to grow in the
knowledge of the truth. This course will bring peace to
their souls, joy to their hearts, and a settled conviction
which no change can disturb. They may be well assured

THE CHURCH AND THE MAN 157

that "he that heareth in secret will reward them openly."
Let them seek for strength from the Source of all strength,
and he will provide spiritual contentment, a rest which is
incomparable with the physical rest that cometh after toil.
All who .seek have a right to, and may enter into, the rest
of God, here upon the earth, from this time forth, now,
today; and when earth-life is finished, they shall also en-
joy his rest in heaven.

I know that Christ is the Only Begotten Son of God,
that he is the Redeemer of the world, that he was raised
from the dead; and that as he arose, so shall every soul
bearing the image of God arise from the dead and be
judged according to his works, be they good or evil. In
the never-ending eternities of our Father in heaven, the
righteous shall rejoice, while the association and love of
their families and friends shall glorify them through the
ages that are to come. Joy and rest unspeakable will be
their reward.

These are some of the doctrines of the gospel of Jesus
Christ which the Latter-day Saints believe. I don't wish for
anything better; I desire to be satisfied in these, and to
possess that peace* and joy which spring from the contem-
plation of the opportunities and truths that are embraced in
this gospel. Were I to seek for other truths, where would
I go? Not to man. I must know for myself, from the
source which provides these blessings and gifts ; but what
more would I ask for than a knowledge of the resurrection,
that I shall be made whole of my sins and become perfect
in Christ Jesus, through obedience to his gospel? Is any
doctrine more reasonable and more compatible with free
agency than this ? It is true that ancient philosophers taught
us many morals, but where, in all the philosophy of the
world, have we better teachings than in the gospel of Christ
which has been revealed to us, and which we hold and are

158 GOSPEL DOCTRINE

made partakers of? No doctrine was ever as perfect as that
of Jesus. Christ perfected every principle that had hitherto
been taught by the philosophers of the world; he has re-
vealed to us the way of salvation, from the beginning, and
through all the meanderings of this life to never-ending ex-
altation and glory in his kingdom, and to a newness of
life therein. He has taught us that man is a dual being,
the offspring of God, and that the body and the spirit,
blended in one immortal soul, is eventually to stand in the
presence of its Maker, and see as it is seen, and know as it
is known. Whenever the Lord speaks to man, he speaks to
his immortal soul, and satisfaction and unsurpassing peace
and joy come to all who listen.

Happy is the man, indeed, who can receive this soul-
satisfying testimony, and be at rest, and seek for no other
road to peace than by the doctrines of Jesus Christ. His
gospel teaches us to love our fellow-men, to do to others as
we would have others do to us, to be just, to be merciful,
to be forgiving and to perform every goo-d act calculated
to enlarge the soul of man. His perfected philosophy
teaches also that it is better to suffer wrong than to -do
wrong, and to pray for our enemies and- for those who de-
spitefully use us. There are no other gospels or systems of
philosophy that bear these marks of divinity and immortality.
You may hunt the philosophies of the world in vain for any
code of ethics that insures the peace and rest that may be
found in his comprehensive, yet simple, gospel.

To the young man or the young woman who is at a
loss to know what to .do, among all the various teachings
that are extant in the world, I would say: Search the
Scriptures, seek God" in prayer, and then read the doctrines
that have been proclaimed by Christ in his sermon on the
mount, as found in Matthew (and as reiterated to the ancient

THE CHURCH AND THE MAN 159

saints upon this continent (III Nephi). Having studied these
splendid standards, and searched deeply the significance of
these matchless sentiments, you may defy the philosophies
of the world, or any of its ethics to produce their equal.
The wisdom of men is not to be compared with them. They
lead to the rest of the peaceable followers of Christ, and
enable mankind to become perfect as he is perfect. No
other philosopher has ever .said as Jesus said, "Come unto
me." From the beginning of the world until the present time,
no other philosopher has ever cried unto the people such
words of love, nor guaranteed *and declared power within
himself to save. "Come unto me, all ye that labor and are
heavy laden, and I will give you rest," is his call to all the
sons and daughters of men.

The Latter-day Saints have answered the call, and
thousands thereby have found rest and peace surpassing
all understanding; and this notwithstanding the outward
fiery ordeals, the turmoil and the strife, through which they
have passed. They rest in the knowledge that no man could
declare or teach such doctrine; it is the truth of God.

I thank our Father that I have come to a knowledge of
this truth, that I know that Jesus is the Christ, in whom
alone there is rest and .salvation. As God lives, they are
deceived who follow men and their philosophies ; but happy
are they who enter into the rest of the peaceable followers
of Christ, obtaining sufficient hope from this time hence-
forth until they shall rest with him in heaven. They de-
pend completely upon the saving power of his gospel, and
are therefore at rest in all the tumult of mind and public
agitation which beset their way. — Improvement Era, 1903-4,
Vol. 7, pp. 714-18.

Harmony. As to harmony, with special reference to
the understanding that the Latter-day Saints should have of
it, as affecting the membership of the Church, or as subsist-

160 GOSPEL DOCTRINE

ing in the quorums of the .priesthood, I would say that the
harmony that is sought to be established among the Saints,
and in the membership of the respective quorums is a
harmony that comes from seeing eye to eye in all things;
from understanding things alike ; a harmony that is born
of perfect knowledge; perfect honesty, perfect unselfishness,
perfect love. This is the harmony the Church would incul-
cate among its members, and such the elements from which
she would have it arise.

It is with harmony as it is with all the ideals of the
gospel. The Saints and elders of the Church may fail in
perfect attainment of them, in this life, but they may ap-
proximate them. While that is true respecting all the
details of the gospel, and as true of the perfect harmony we
seek to attain as of other ideal conditions, yet we recognize
the fact that a certain degree of harmony is essential in the
Church as a working principle. This degree of harmony,
essential in the Church, among the members and in the
quorums of the priesthood, is neither hard to understand
nor difficult of attainment. Neither is it a new principle,
nor peculiar to the Church of the Latter-day Saints. It is
as old as the society of men. It is common to all men work-
ing in community — to parliaments, congresses, conventions
boards, bureaucracies, and conferences of all descriptions.
In the Church of Jesus Christ of Latter-day Saints this
essential harmony consists of such union or agreement as is
necessary to the accomplishment of the purposes of the- or-
ganization. These purposes, in the main, are accomplished
through the several councils of the priesthood, and through
the conferences of the Church; hence, the work is done by
the combined actions of groups of individuals, and of neces-
sity must be by their agreement or consent. With men of
varying intelligence, judgment, and temperament, of course
it follows that in the consideration of a given matter there
will be a variety of views entertained, and discussion of the

THE CHURCH AND THE MAN 161

subject will nearly always develop a variety of opinions. All
this, by the way, is not detrimental to the quality of any
proposed action, since the greater the variety in tempera-
ment and training, of those in conference, the more varied
will be the viewpoints from which the subject in question is
considered, until it is likely to be presented in almost every
conceivable light, and its strength as well as its weakness
developed, resulting in the best possible judgment being
formed of it. It is these considerations which doubtless led
to the aphorism, "In the midst of counsel there is wisdom."
It will sometimes happen, of course, in the experiences of
councils or conferences, that all present may not be brought
to perfect- agreement, with reference to the proposed action ;
but upon submission of the question to an expression of
judgment, it is found that a majority of those having the
right to decide a given matter determine it in a certain way.
And now the question arises, what shall be the course of
those who are in the minority, those not in the agreement
perfectly with the decision? Shall they go from the council
or conference and contend for their views against the de-
cision rendered and be rebellious and stubborn in adhering
to their own judgment, as against the judgment of the ma-
jority of the council or conference who had the right to de-
termine what the action should be? The right answer, I
think, is obvious. The judgment of the majority must
stand. If it is the action of the council or conference having
the final word upon the subject, it becomes the decreed
action, the rule or law, and must be maintained as such un-
til greater knowledge or changed circumstances "shall cause
those who rightfully established such decision to modify or
abolish it.

Of course, if a member or members of the minority re-
gard the action of the majority as a violation of some funda-
mental principle, or subversive of the inherent rights of men,
against which they conceive it to be a matter of conscience

12

162 GOSPEL DOCTRINE

to enter protest or absolute repudiation, I understand it is
their right to so proceed; but this, let it be understood,
would be revolutionary, it would be rebellion, and if per-
sisted in, could only end in such persons voluntarily with-
drawing, or being severed from the organization. They
cannot hope to be retained in a fellowship and enjoy the
rights and privileges of the Church, and at the same time be
making war upon its decisions or its rules and policy. But
no power on earth, certainly no power in the Church, can
prevent men dissatisfied with the Church, from absolutely
withdrawing from it ; and such is the disfavor with which
the Church is regarded by the world that such withdrawals
would in most cases be rewarded by the applause of the
world. Or, if the dissatisfaction of the member be only with
the quorum or council of the priesthood with which he is
connected, he would be at liberty to withdraw from that
quorum or council, and still retain his membership in the
Church. On the other hand, the harmony which I spoke of
as being essential to the Church certainly demands that the
Church shall not tolerate, and indeed, if the life of the or-
ganization persists, it cannot tolerate such internal conflicts
as those just alluded to, as they would lead to confusion,
anarchy, disruption, and final abolishment of the organiza-
tion.

There is one other element to be considered in this mat-
ter of harmony, as a doctrine of the Church, which may not
operate in other community efforts of men; and that is, the
living presence and effective force of the Holy Spirit. That"
Spirit, it must be remembered, is, by way of preeminence,
called "The Spirit of Truth, which proceedeth from the
Father." He teaches all things; and brings to the remem-
brance of the Saints all the instructions of the Master. He
guides into all truth, and as in all truth there is unity or
harmony, so, it is believed that if the Saints are in posses-
sion of this Spirit, the harmony in the Church of Christ will

THE CHURCH AND THE MAN 163

be superior to the harmony that can be looked for or hoped
for, in any other organization whatsoever. And because the
Saints have free access to the Holy Spirit, and may walk
within his light and fellowship and possess the intelligence
which he is able to impart, a stricter harmony among the
Saints may be insisted upon than in any other organization
of men whatsoever. For the same reason, lack of harmony
may be more severely censured and persistent opposition and
rebellion more justly denounced and swiftly punished.

In all things, however, patience and charity must be
exercised — and no less in seeking the perfect harmony we
hope for, than in other things. The present state of im-
perfect knowledge, the struggle it is for all men to live on
those spiritual heights where they may be in communion
with God, must be taken into account and due allowance
made for human weakness and imperfections. So that, while
the existence of that degree of harmony essential as a work-
ing principle in the Church must always be imperatively de-
manded, beyond that, the Church in the matter of harmony
may well afford to exercise forbearance and charity towards
all its members until the day of more perfect knowledge
shall arise upon the Saints; a day when, through a wider
effusion and a deeper penetration of the Holy Spirit, they
may be brought to stand in perfect harmony with each other
and with God. — Improvement Era, Vol. 8, 1904-5, pp. 209-
215.

Character, Mettle, and Mission of the Latter-
day Saints. We do not look for absolute perfection in
man. Mortal man is not capable of being absolutely perfect.
Nevertheless, it is given to us to be as perfect in the sphere
in which we are called to be and to act, as it is for the Father
in heaven to be pure and righteous in the more exalted
sphere in which he acts. We will find in the scriptures the
words of the Savior himself to his disciples, in which he
required that they should be perfect, even as their Father

164 GOSPEL DOCTRINE

in heaven is perfect; that they should be righteous, even as
he is righteous. I do not expect that we can be as perfect
as Christ, that we can be as righteous as God. But I believe
that we can strive for that perfection with the intelligence
that we possess, and the knowledge that we have of the prin-
ciples of life and salvation. The duty of the Latter-day
Saints, and the paramount duty of those who are leaders in
this work of mutual improvement in the Church, is to incul-
cate in the hearts of the young people these principles of
righteousness, of purity of life, of honor, of uprightness
and of humility withal, that we may be humble before God
and acknowledge his hand in all things. According to his
revelations, he is displeased with those who will not ac-
knowledge his hand in all things. When we look at the im-
perfections of our fellow-beings, some of the inclinations of
those with whom we are intimately associated in the various
organizations of the Church, and discern in them their
natural proneness to. evil, to sinfulness, to a disregard of
sacred things, and sometimes their inclination to disregard
and treat lightly, if not with contempt, those things which
should be more sacred than life itself, it makes the task seem
almost discouraging, and it seems impossible for us to ac-
complish that which we have in view, and to perform the
mission that we have undertaken to our own satisfaction
and the acceptance of the Lord.

But what shall we do? Shall we quit because there
are those with whom we come in contact who are not will-
ing to rise to the standard to which we seek to exalt them ?
No! Someone has said that the Lord hates a quitter, and
there should be no such thing as quitting when we put our
hands to the plow to save men, to save souls, to exalt man-
kind, to inculcate principles of righteousness and establish
them in the hearts of those with whom we are associated,
both by precept and by example. There must be no such
thing as being discouraged. We may fail over and over again,

THE CHURCH AND THE MAN 165

but if we do, it is in individual cases. Under certain conditions
and circumstances, we may fail to accomplish the object we
have in view with reference to this individual or the other in-
dividual, or a number of individuals that we are seeking to
benefit, to uplift, to purify, to get into their hearts the prin-
ciples of justice, of righteousness, of virtue and of honor,
that would fit them to inherit the kingdom of God ; to asso-
ciate with angels, should they come to visit the earth. If
you fail, never mind. Go right on; try it again; try it
somewhere else. Never say quit. Do not say it cannot be
done. Failure is a word that sljpuld be unknown to all the
workers in the Sunday Schools, in the Mutual Improvement
Associations, in our Primary Associations, in the quorums of
Priesthood, as well as in all the organizations of the Church
everywhere. The word "fail" ought to be expunged from
our language and our thoughts. We do not fail when we
seek to benefit the erring, and they will not listen to us. We
will get the reward for all the good we do. We will get the
reward for all the good we desire to do, and labor to do,
though we fail to accomplish it, for we will be judged ac-
cording to our works and our intent and purposes. The
victim of evil, or sin, the one whom we seek to benefit, but
who will not yield to our endeavors to benefit him, may fail,
but we who try to uplift him will not fail, if we do not quit.

If we continue trying, failing, as it were, or missing one
mark, should not discourage us ; but we should fly to another,
keep on in the work, keep on doing, patiently, determinedly
doing our duty, seeking to accomplish the purpose we have
in view.

It is the duty of the Latter-day Saints, the duty of those
auxiliary organizations of the Church, all and each of them,
to teach to the children that are brought within our influence
and care the divinity of the mission of Joseph Smith, the
prophet. Do not forget it. Do not let him perish out of
your thoughts and minds. Remember that the Lord God

166 GOSPEL DOCTRINE

raised him to lay the foundations of this work, and the Lord
did what has been done through him, and we see the results
of it. Men may scoff at Joseph Smith and at his mission,
just as they scoffed at the Savior and his mission. They
may ridicule and make light of and condemn the mission of
the Christ, and yet with all their condemnation, their scoff-
ing, their ridicule, their contempt and murderous persecu-
tion of the Saints of former days, God's name, the name of
the lowly Nazarene — he that had not where to lay his head,
he that was scoffed at, abused, insulted, persecuted and
driven into concealment and into exile, time and again, be-
cause they sought his life; he that was charged' with doing
good by the power of Satan ; he that was charged with vio-
lating the Sabbath day, because he permitted his disciples
to gather ears of corn and eat them on the Sabbath ; he that
was called a friend of publicans and sinners, he that was
called a friend of wine bibbers, and all this sort of thing;
and at last was crucified, mocked, crowned with thorns, spat
upon, smitten and abused until he was lifted upon the cross,
as they shouted : "Now, if thou be the Son of God, come
down!" — even the thieves crucified with him mocked and
ridiculed him, and asked him, if he were Christ to come
down and also deliver them — all this happened to Jesus, the
Son of God. But what is the result? Look at the so-called
Christian world today. Never has there been a name brought
to the intelligence of the human race since the foundations
of the world that has accomplished so much, that has been
revered and honored so much as the name of Jesus Christ —
once so hated and persecuted and crucified. The day will
come — and it is not far distant, either — when the name of
the Prophet Joseph Smith will be coupled with the name of
Jesus Christ of Nazareth, the Son of God, as his representa-
tive, as his agent whom he chose, ordained and set apart to
lay anew the foundations of the Church of God in the
world, which is indeed the Church of Jesus Christ, possess-

THE CHURCH AND THE MAN 167

ing all the powers of the gospel, all the rites and privileges,
the authority of the holy priesthood, and every principle
necessary to fit and qualify both the living and the dead to
inherit eternal life, and to attain to exaltation in the king-
dom of God. The day will come when you and I will not
be the only ones who will believe this, by a great deal ; but
there will be millions of people, living and dead, who will
proclaim this truth. This gospel revealed by the Prophet
Joseph is already being preached to the spirits in prison, to
those who have passed away from this stage of action into
the spirit world without the knowledge of the gospel. Joseph
Smith is preaching the gospel to them, so is Hyrum Smith,
so is Brigham Young, and so are all the faithful apostles that
lived in this dispensation, under the administration of the
Prophet Joseph. They are there, having carried with them
from here the holy priesthood which they received under the
hands and by the authority of the Prophet Joseph Smith.
With that authority, conferred upon them in the flesh, they
are preaching the gospel to the spirits in prison, as Christ di-
rected when his body lay in the tomb, and he went to proclaim
liberty 'to the captives, and to open the prison doors to them
that were bound. Not only are these engaged in that work,
but hundreds and thousands of others. The elders that have
died in the mission field have not finished their missions, but
they are continuing them in the spirit world. Possibly the
Lord saw it necessary or proper to call them herice, as he
did. I am not going to question that thought, at least, not
dispute it. I leave it in the hands of God, for I believe that
all these things will be overruled for good, for the Lord
will suffer nothing to go to his people in the world that he
will not overrule eventually for their greater good. — Im-
provement Era, Oct., 1910, Vol. 13, pp. 1053-1061.

CHAPER IX
Priesthood

God is at the Helm. We are living in a momentous
age. The Lord is hastening his work. He is at the helm ;
there is no mortal man at the helm of this work. It is true,
the Lord uses such instruments as will be obedient to his
commandments and laws to assist in accomplishing his pur-
poses in the earth. He has chosen those who, at least, have
shown a willingness and a disposition to obey him and keep
his laws, and who seek to work righteousness and carry
out the purposes of the Lord. — Oct. C. R. f 1906, pp. 3, 4.

Distinction Between Keys of the Priesthood and
Priesthood. The priesthood in general is the authority
given to man to act for God. Every man ordained to any
degree of the priesthood, has this authority dedicated to him.

But it is necessary that every act performed under this
authority shall be done at the proper time and place, in the
proper way, and after the proper order. The power of di-
recting these labors constitutes the keys of the priesthood.
In their fulness, these keys are held by only one person at a
time, the prophet and president of the Church. He may
delegate any portion of this power to another, in which case
that person holds the keys of that particular labor. Thus,
the president of a temple, the president of a stake, the bishop
of a ward, the president of a mission, the president of a
quorum, each holds the keys of the labors performed in that
particular body or locality. His priesthood is not increased
by this special appointment, for a seventy who presides over
a mission has no more priesthood than a severity who labors
under his direction ; and the president of an elders' quorum,
for example, has no more priesthood than any member of
that quorum. But he holds the power directing the official

PRIESTHOOD 169

labors performed in the mission or the quorum, or in other
words, the keys of that division of that work. So it is
throughout all the ramifications of the priesthood — a dis-
tinction must be carefully made between the general author-
ity, and the directing of the labors performed by that author-
ity. — Improvement Era, Vol. 4, p. 230, Jan., 1901.

Conferring the Priesthood. The revelation in sec-
tion 107, Doctrine and Covenants, verses 1, 5, 6, 7, 21 clearly
points out that the Priesthood is a general authority or qual-
ification, with certain offices or authorities appended thereto.
Consequently the conferring of the priesthood should precede
and accompany ordination to office, unless it be possessed
by previous bestowal and ordination. Surely a man cannot
possess an appendage to the priesthood without possessing
the priesthood itself, which he cannot obtain unless it be
authoritatively conferred upon him.

Take, for instance, the office of a deacon: the person
ordained should have the Aaronic Priesthood conferred upon
him in connection with his ordination. He cannot receive
a portion or fragment of the Aaronic priesthood, because
that would be acting on the idea that either or both of
the (Melchizedek and Aaronic) priesthoods were subject
to subdivision, which is contrary to the revelation.

In ordaining those who have not yet received the
Aaronic priesthood, to any office therein, the words of John
the Baptist to Joseph Smith, Jr., and Oliver Cowdery, would
be appropriate to immediately precede the act of ordination.
They are:

"Upon you my fellow servants [servant], in the name
of Messiah, I confer the Priesthood of Aaron."

Of course, it would not necessarily follow that these exact
words should be used, but the language should be consistent
with the act of conferring the Aaronic Priesthood. — Im-
provement Era, Vol. 4, p. 394, March, 1901.

An Authoritative Declaration. The Church of

170 GOSPEL DOCTRINE

Jesus Christ of Latter-day Saints is no partisan Church. It
is not a sect. It is The Church of Jesus Christ of Latter-day
Saints. It is the only one today existing in the world that
can and does legitimately bear the name of Jesus Christ and
his divine authority. I make this declaration in all simplicity
and honesty before you and before all the world, bitter as
the truth may seem to those who are opposed and who have
no reason for that opposition. It is nevertheless true and
will remain true until He who has a right to rule among the
nations of the earth and among the individual children of
God throughout the world shall come and take the reins of
government and receive the bride that shall be prepared
for the coming of the Bridegroom.

Many of our great writers have recently been querying
and wondering where the divine authority exists today to
command in the name of the Father and of the Son and of
the Holy Ghost, so that it will be in effect and acceptable
at the throne of the Eternal Father. I will announce here
and now, presumptuous as it may seem to be to those who
know not the truth, that the divine authority of Almighty
God, to speak in the name of the Father and the
Son, is here in the midst of these everlasting hills, in
the midst of this intermountain region, and it will abide
and will continue, for God is its source, and God is
the power by which it has been maintained against
all opposition in the world up to the present, and by which
\t will continue to progress and grow and increase on the
earth until it shall cover the earth frpm sea to sea. This is
my testimony to you, my brethren and sisters, and I have a
fulness of joy and satisfaction in being able to declare this
without regard to, or fear of, all the adversaries of the truth.
— This declaration was made at the morning service of the
annual conference on the 88th anniversary of the organiza-
tion of the Church of Jesus Christ of Latter-day Saints,
April 6, 1918. — Improvement Era, Vol. 21, p. 639.

PRIESTHOOD 171

The Church Not Man-made. We believe in God,
the Father of our Lord and Savior Jesus Christ, the Maker
of heaven and earth, the Father of our spirits. We believe
in him without reserve, we accept him in our heart, in our
religious faith, in our very being. We know that he loves
us, and we accept him as the Father of our spirits and" the
Father of our Lord and Savior Jesus Christ. We believe
in the Lord Jesus and in his divine, saving mission into the
world, and in the redemption, the marvelous, glorious re-
demption, that he wrought for the salvation of men. We be-
lieve in him and this constitutes the foundation of our faith.
He is the foundation and chief corner stone of our religion.
We are his by adoption, by being buried' with Christ in bap-
tism, by being born of the water and of the Spirit anew into
the world, through the ordinances of the gospel of Christ
and we are thereby God's children, heirs of God and joint
heirs with Jesus Christ through our adoption and faith.

One of our brethren who spoke today gave out the idea
that he knew who was to lead the Church. • I also know
who will lead this Church, and I tell you that it will be no
man who will lead the Church of Jesus Christ of Latter-day
Saints; I don't care in what time nor in what generation.
No man will lead God's people nor his work. God may
choose men and make them instruments in his hands for
accomplishing his purposes, but the glory and honor and
power will be due to the Father, in whom rests the wisdom
and the might to lead his people and' take care of his Zion.
I am not leading the Church of Jesus Christ, nor the Latter-
day Saints, and I want this distinctly understood. No man
does. Joseph did not do it ; Brigham did not do it ; neither
did John Taylor. Neither did Wilford Woodruff, nor Lo-
renzo Snow ; and Joseph F. Smith, least of them all, is not
leading the Church of Jesus Christ of Latter-day Saints,
and will not lead it. They were instruments in God's hands
in accomplishing what they did. God did it through them.

172 GOSPEL DOCTRINE

The honor and glory is due to the Lord and not to them.
We are only instruments whom God may choose and use
to do his work. All that we can do we should do to
strengthen them in the midst of weakness, in the great call-
ing to which they are called. But remember that God leads
the work. It is his. It is not man's work. If it had been
the work of Joseph Smith, or of Brigham Young, or of
John Taylor, Wilford Woodruff, or Lorenzo Snow, it would
not have endured the tests to which it has been subjected;
it would have been brought to naught long ago. But if it
had been merely the work of men, it never would have been
subjected to such tests, for the whole world has been arrayed
against it: If it had been the work of Brigham Young or
Joseph Smith, with such determined opposition as it has
met with, it would have come to naught. But it was not
theirs ; it was God's work. Thank God for that. It is the
power of God unto salvation, and I want my boys and girls
to take my testimony upon this point. And yet, while we
give the honor and glory unto the Lord God Almighty for
the accomplishment of his purposes, let us not altogether
despise the instrument that he chooses to accomplish the
work by. We do not worship him; we worship God, and
we call upon his holy name, as we have been directed in
the gospel, in the name of his Son. We call for mercy in
the name of Jesus; we ask for blessings in the name of
Jesus. We are baptized in the name of the Father and
of the Son and of the Holy Ghost. We are initiated
into the Church and Kingdom of God in the name of
the Father and of the Son and of the Holy Ghost, and
we worship the Father. We seek to obey the Son and fol-
low in his footsteps. He will lead — no man will ever lead —
his Church. If the time or condition should ever come to
pass that a man, possessing human weaknesses, shall lead
the Church, woe be to the Church, for it will then become
like the churches of the world, man-made, and man-led, and

PRIESTHOOD 173

have no power of God" or of life eternal and salvation con-
nected with it, only the wisdom, the judgment and intelli-
gence of man. I pity the world, because this is their con-
dition.

What is the Priesthood? It is nothing more nor
less than the power of God delegated to man by which man
can act in the earth for the salvation of the human family,
in the name of the Father and the Son and the Holy Ghost,
and act legitimately; not assuming that authority, not bor-
rowing it from generations that are dead' and gone, but au-
thority that has been given in this day in which we live by
ministering angels and spirits from above, direct from the
presence of Almighty God, who have come to the earth in
our day and restored the Priesthood to the children of men,
by which they may baptize for the remission of sins and lay
on hands for the reception of the Holy Ghost, and by which
they can remit sin, with the sanction and blessing of Al-
mighty God. It is the same power and priesthood that was
committed to the disciples of Christ while he was upon the
earth, that whatsoever they should bind on earth should be
bound in heaven, and that whatsoever they should loose on
earth should be loosed in heaven, and whosoever they blessed
should be blessed, and if they cursed, in the spirit of right-
eousness and meekness before God, God would confirm that
curse, but men are not called upon to curse mankind; that
is not our mission ; it is our mission to preach righteousness
to them. It is our business to love and to bless men, and to
redeem them from the fall and from the wickedness of the
world. This is our mission and our special calling. God
will curse and will exercise his judgment in those matters.
"Vengeance is mine/' saith the Lord, "and I will repay."
We are perfectly willing to leave vengeance in the hands of
God and let him judge between us and our enemies, and let
him reward them according to his own wisdom and mercy. —
Oct. C. R., 1904, p. 5.

174 GOSPEL DOCTRINE

The Priesthood — Definition, Purpose and Power.
What I mean by the Holy Priesthood is that authority which
God has delegated to man, by which he may speak the will
of God as if the angels were here to speak it them-
selves ; by which men are empowered to bind on earth and
it shall be bound in heaven, and to loose on earth and it shall
be loosed in heaven ; by which the words of man, spoken in
the exercise of that power, become the word of the Lord,
and the law of God unto the people, scripture, and divine
commands. It is therefore not good that the Latter-day
Saints and the children of the Latter-day Saints should
treat lightly this sacred principle of authority which has
been revealed from the heavens in the dispensation in which
we live. It is the authority' by which the Lord Almighty
governs his people, and by which, in time to come, he will
govern the nations of the world. It is sacred, and it must
be held sacred by the people. It should be honored and re-
spected by them, in whomsoever it is held, and in whomsoever
responsibility is placed in the Church. The young men and
women and the people generally should hold this principle
and recognize it as something that is sacred, and that can-
not be trifled with nor spoken lightly of with impunity. Dis-
regard of this authority leads to darkness and to apostasy,
and severance from all the rights and privileges of the house
of God ; for it is by virtue of this authority that the or-
dinances of the gospel are performed throughout the world
and in every sacred place, and without it they cannot be per-
formed. Those also who hold this authority should honor
it in themselves. They should live so as to be worthy of the
authority vested in them and worthy of the gifts that have
been bestowed upon them. — Oct. C. R., 1901, p. 2.

Mission of the Priesthood. We can make no ad-
vancement only upon the principles of eternal truth. In pro-
portion as we become established upon the foundation of
these principles which have been revealed from the heav-

PRIESTHOOD 175

ens in the latter-days, and determine to accomplish the pur-
poses of the Lord, will we progress, and the Lord will all
the more exalt and magnify us before the world and make
us to assume our real position and standing in the midst of
the earth. We have been looked upon as interlopers, as
fanatics, as believers in a false religion ; we have been re-
garded with contempt, and treated despicably ; we have been
driven from our homes, maligned and spoken evil of every-
where, until the people of the world have come to believe
that we are the offscourings of the earth and scarcely fit
to live. There are thousands and thousands of innocent peo-
ple in the world whose minds have become so darkened by
the slanderous reports that have gone forth concerning us,
that they would feel they are doing God's service to deprive
a member of this Church of life, or of liberty, or the pursuit
of happiness, if they could do it.

The Lord designs to change this condition of things,
and to make us known to the world in our true light — as true
worshipers of God, as those who have become the children
of God by repentance; and by the law of adoption have be-
come heirs of God and joint heirs with Jesus Christ; and
that our mission in this world is to do good, to put down
iniquity under our feet, to exalt righteousness, purity, and
holiness in the hearts of the people, and to establish in the
minds of our children, above all other things, a love for
God and his word, that shall be in them as a fountain of
light, strength, faith and power, leading them on from child-
hood to old "age, and making them firm believers in the
word of the Lord, in the restored gospel and priesthood, and'
in the establishment of Zion, no more to be thrown down
nor given to another people. If there is anything that I
desire above another in this world, it is that my children
shall become established in this knowledge and faith, so that
they can never be turned aside from it. — Oct. C. R. f 1901,
p. 70.

176 GOSPEL DOCTRINE

What are the Keys of the Priesthood? The priest-
hood that we hold' is of the greatest importance, because it
is the authority and power of God. It is authority from
heaven that has been restored to men upon the earth in the
latter days, through the ministration of angels from God,
who came with authority to bestow this power and this
priesthood upon men.

I say that the priesthood which is the agency of our
heavenly Father holds the keys of the ministering of angels.
What is a key? It is the right or privilege which belongs
to and comes with the priesthood, to have communication
with God. Is not that a key? Most decidedly. We may
not enjoy the blessing, or key, very much, but the key is in
the priesthood. It is the right to enjoy the blessing of
communication with the heavens, and the privilege and
authority to administer in the ordinances of the gospel
of Jesus Christ, to preach the gospel of repentance, and
of baptism by immersion for the remission of sins.
That is a key. You who hold the priesthood have
the key or the authority, the right, the power or privilege
to preach the gospel of Jesus Christ, which is the gospel of
repentance and of baptism by immersion for the remission
of sins — a mighty important thing, I tell you. There isn't
a minister of any church upon all of God's footstool today,
so far as we know, except in the Church of Jesus Christ of
Latter-day Saints, who has the keys or the authority to
enjoy the ministration of angels. There isn't one of them
that possesses that priesthood. But here we ordain boys
who are scarcely in their teens, some of them, to that priest-
hood which holds the keys of the ministering of angels and
of the gospel of repentance and baptism by immersion for
the remission of sins. There is not a minister anywhere else in
the world, I repeat, who possesses these keys, or this priest-
hood or power, or that right. Why? Because they have not
received the gospel, nor have they received that priesthood

PRIESTHOOD 177

by the laying on of hands by those having authority to con-
fer it. — Improvement Era, Vol. 14, December, 1910, p. 176.

Sanctity of the Ordinances of the Priesthood.
There appears to be, among some of our people, an inade-
quate conception of the sanctity attending certain of the or-
dinances of the Holy Priesthood. True, the ministrations of
those in authority amongst us are not attended with the
pomp and worldly ceremony that characterize the procedure
in other churches so-called, but the fact that the Church of
Jesus Christ of Latter-day Saints is in possession of the
priesthood is sufficient to make any and every ordinance ad-
ministered by due authority within the Church an event of
supreme importance. In performing any such ordinance,
the one who officiates speaks and acts, not of himself and
of his personal authority, but by virtue of his ordination and
appointment as a representative of the powers of heaven.
We do not set apart bishops and other officers in the Church,
with the show and ceremony of a gala day, as do certain
sectarians, nor do we make the ordinance of baptism a spec-
tacular display; but the simplicity of the order established
in the Church of Christ ought rather to add to than take
from the sacred character of the several ordinances.

An illustration of the fact that many do not understand
the full sanctity of certain ordinances is found in the desire
some evince to have them repeated. Until within a few years,
it was a very general custom in the Church to allow a repe-
tition of the baptismal right to adults before they entered the
temples. This custom, first established by due authority,
and for good cause (see Articles of Faith, by Talmage,
144-148) finally came to be regarded by many members of
the Church as essential, and indeed, "re-baptism" was gen-
erally looked upon, though wrongly, as separate and dif-
ferent from the first ordinance of the gospel — by which alone
one may gain entrance to the Church of Christ. But the most
hurtful feature of this misunderstanding was the disposi-

13

178 GOSPEL DOCTRINE

tion of some to look upon the repeated baptisms as a sure
means of securing forgiveness of sins from time to time,
and this might easily have led to the thought that one may
sin with comparative impunity if he were baptized at fre-
quent intervals. This condition has been changed in the
Church, and at the present time only those who, having been
admitted to the fold of Christ by baptism, afterwards stray
therefrom, or are disfellowshiped or excommunicated by due
process of the Church courts, are considered as fit subjects
to receive a repetition of the initiatory ordinance. These
remarks, it must be understood, have no reference to the
baptisms and other ordinances performed in the temples. —
Juvenile Instructor, Vol. 38, p. 18, Jan., 1903.

On Church Government. We are governed by law
because we love one another, and are actuated by long-suf-
fering and charity, and good will ; and our whole organiza-
tion is based upon the idea of self-control; the principle of
give and take, and of rather being willing to suffer wrong
than to do wrong. Our message is peace on earth and" good
will towards men; love, charity and forgiveness, which
should actuate all associated with the Church of Jesus Christ
of Latter-day Saints. Ours is a Church where law is dom-
inant, but the law is the law of love. There are rules
which should be observed, and will be observed if we have
the spirit of the work in our hearts ; and if we have not the
spirit with us, we have only the form of godliness which is
without strength. It is the Spirit which leads us to the per-
formance of our duties. There are many who know this
gospel to be true, but have not the least particle of the
Spirit, and therefore are found arrayed against it, and take
no part with the people, simply because they have not the
Spirit.

The priesthood after the order of the Son of God is the
ruling, presiding authority in the Church. It is divided into
its Various parts — the Melchizedek and the Aaroriic — and

PRIESTHOOD 179

all the quorums or councils are organized in the Church,
each with special duties and special callings; not clashing
with each other, but all harmonious and united. In other
words, there is no government in the Church of Jesus Christ
separate and apart, above, or outside of the holy priesthood
or its authority. We have our Relief Societies, Mutual
Improvement Associations, Primary Associations and Sun-
day Schools, and we may organize, if we choose, associations
for self-protection and self-help among ourselves, not sub-
ject to our enemies, but for our good and the good of our
people, but these organizations are not quorums or councils
of the priesthood, but are auxiliary to, and under it ; organ-
ized by virtue of the holy priesthood. They are not outside
of, nor above it, nor beyond its reach. They acknowledge
the principle of the priesthood. Wherever they are they
always exist with the view of accomplishing some good ;
some soul's salvation, temporal or spiritual.

When we have a Relief Society, it is thus organized.
It has its president and other officers, for the complete and
perfect accomplishment of the purposes of its organization.
When it meets, it proceeds as an independent organization,
always mindful of the fact it is such, by virtue of the author-
ity of the holy priesthood which God has instituted. If the
president of the stake comes into a meeting of the Relief
Society, the sisters, through their president, would at once
pay deference to him, would consult and advise with him,
and receive directions from the presiding head. That head
is the bishop of the ward, the president in the stake, the
presidency of the Church, in all the Church. The Young
Ladies' and Young Men's Associations, the Primary Associ-
ations and the Sunday Schools are the same. All are under
the same head, and the same rules apply to each.

When the Young Men's and Young Ladies' Associa-
tions meet saparately, they each have presiding officers and
they take charge and conduct the business. If the bishop

180 GOSPEL DOCTRINE

comes in to either the Young Men's or Young Ladies' As-
sociation, due deference is paid him. But in joint association
of the Young Men's and Young Ladies' officers, there are
the two organizations ; the two boards are represented. Who
shall take the initiative? Who shall exercise the presiding
function ? Is the sister to take the initiative and exercise the
presiding function ? Why, no ! not so, because that is not in
accordance with the order of the priesthood. If the Young
Men's officers are there, they hold' the priesthood, and it is
their place to take the initiative. If I were the president of
a Young Ladies' Association, and we met in joint meeting,
I should expect the president of the Young Men's Associa-
tion to take the initial step, that he would call the meeting to
order, etc., because he holds the priesthood, and should be
the head; then he should not forget that the Young Ladies
have an organization, and are entitled to perfect and com-
plete representation in the conjoint meetings, and under the
priesthood should be given charge at least half the time. If
he is not in his place, then let the young lady preside as she
would in her own meeting. The ladies should not be dis-
criminated against, but should have equal chances. There
should be no curtailment nor abridgment of these rights,
but every opportunity for their exercise should be given.
Gallantry would naturally prompt the young men to give
even more, maybe, than they take themselves, but they
should direct in all these matters, in the spirit of love and
kindness.

There never can be and never will be, under God's di-
rection, two equal heads at the same time. That would not
be consistent; it would be irrational and unreasonable; con-
trary to God's will. There is one head, and he is God, the
head of all. Next to him stands the man he puts in nom-
ination to stand at the head on the earth, with his associates ;
and all the other organizations and heads, from him to the

PRIESTHOOD 181

last, are subordinate to the first, otherwise there would
be discord, disunion and disorganization.

I am tenacious that all should learn the right and power
of the priesthood, and recognize it ; and if they do it, they
will not go far astray. It is wrong to sit in judgment upon
the presiding officers. Suppose a bishop does wrong, are we
to run away to everyone and backbite and slander him, and
tell all we know or think we know, in relation to the mat-
ter and spread it about? Is that the way for Saints to do?
If we do so we shall breed destruction to the faith of the
young, and others. If I have done wrong, you should come
right to me with your complaint, tell me what you know,
and not say one word to any other soul on earth ; but let us
sit down together as brethren and make the matter right;
confess, ask forgiveness, shake hands and be at peace. Any
other course than this will create a nest of evil, and' stir up
strife among the Saints.' — Improvement Era, Vol. 6, July,
1903, pp. 704-708.

A Blessing and an Explanation of the Priesthood.
The Lord bless you. From the depths of my soul, I bless
you ; I hold the right, the keys and the authority of the Patri-
archal Priesthood in the Church. I have a right to pronounce
patriarchal blessings, because I hold the keys and authority
to do it. It is given to me and my associates to ordain
patriarchs and set them apart to give blessings to the people,
to comfort them by promises made in wisdom and the in-
spiration of the Spirit of God, of the favor and mercies of
the Lord that they may be stronger in good works, and their
hopes may be realized and their faith increased. And I bless
you, my brethren and sisters, in the cause of Zion, with all
my soul and by the authority of the priesthood that I hold.
I hold the priesthood of the apostleship, I hold the high
priesthood which is after the order of the Son of God, which
is at the foundation of all priesthood and is the greatest
of all priesthoods, because the apostle and the high priest

182 GOSPEL DOCTRINE

and the seventy derive their authority and their privileges
from the priesthood which is after the Son of God. All au-
thority comes out of that high priesthood. — Oct. C, R. } 1916,
p. 7.

The Privilege of the Priesthood to Bless. We have
been told of an incident which occurred a few weeks ago,
when a bishop's counselor (and therefore a high priest)
from a remote settlement, while visiting Salt Lake City,
refused to administer to his sister's child who was danger-
ously sick, for the reason that he was outside of his own
ward.

This brother must have had' a misunderstanding of the
authority of his office, or he was over diffident. Whatever
the cause, he was not justified in his refusal. His authority
to bless in the name of the Lord was not confined to his
ward ; no elder's opportunity for doing a purely good deed
should be confined to a ward or any other limit, and when
he went into a house and the head of that household made
such a request of him it was clearly not only his privilege
or right, but his duty to comply. Indeed, we believe that
every man holding the priesthood, in good standing in the
Church, who owns a home, is supreme in his own household,
and when another brother enters it, and he requests the lat-
ter to perform any duty consistent with his calling, the lat-
ter should accede to his wishes ; and if there should be any-
thing wrong, he who makes the request as the head of the
house into which the brother has come, is responsible there-
for. If that head of a household asks anything to be done
which for the sake of Church discipline, or to fulfil the rev-
elations of the Lord, should be placed on the records of the
Church, he should see to it that the necessary details are
supplied and recorded.

We further believe that the rights of fatherhood in all
faithful, worthy men are paramount, and should be recog-
nized by all other men holding positions or callings in the

PRIESTHOOD 183

priesthood. To make this idea plainer we will say, as an ex-
ample of our idea, we do not consider it proper in a bishop
or other officer to suggest that the son of such a man (the
son himself not being the head of a family, but living with
his father) be called upon a mission without first consulting
the father. The priesthood was originally exercised in the
patriarchal order ; those who held it exercised" their powers
firstly by right of their fatherhood. It is so with the great
Eloheim. This first and strongest claim on our love, rev-
erence and obedience is based on the fact that he is the
Father, the Creator, of all mankind. Without him we are
not, and consequently we owe to him existence and all that
flows therefrom — all we have and all that we are. Man pos-
sessing the holy priesthood is typical of him. But as men
on earth cannot act in God's stead as his representatives
without the authority, appointment and* ordination naturally
follow. No man has the right to take this honor to himself,
except he be called of God through the channels that he
recognizes and has empowered.

Returning to the thought expressed in our opening
paragraph, we recognize that there is a side to the question
that must not be lost sight of, as to ignore that view would
be to encourage a condition in the midst of the Saints preg-
nant with confusion. We have found occasionally that men
blessed with some peculiar gift of the spirit have exercised
it in an unwise — shall we say, improper manner. For in-
stance: brethren strongly gifted with the power of healing
have visited far and near amongst the Saints (to the neg-
lect sometimes of other duties), until it has almost become
a business with them, and their visits to the homes of the
Saints have assumed somewhat the character of those of a
physician, and the people have come to regard the power so
manifested as if coming from man, and he himself has some-
times grown to so feel, and not that he was simply an instru-
ment in the hands of God of bringing blessings to their

184 GOSPEL DOCTRINE

house. This view is exceedingly unfortunate, when indulged
in, and' is apt to result in the displeasure of the Lord. It has
sometimes ended in the brother possessing this gift, if he
encouraged such a feeling, losing his power to bless and
heal. Departures from the recognized order and discipline
of the Church should therefore be discountenanced and dis-
couraged'. — Juvenile Instructor, Vol. 37, pp. 50, 51, Jan. 15,
1902.

The Priesthood Greater than Any of Its Offices.
There is no office growing out of this priesthood that
is or can be greater than the priesthood itself. It is from
the priesthood that the office derives its authority and power.
No office gives authority to the priesthood. No office
adds to the power of the priesthood. But all offices in
the Church derive their power, their virtue, their author-
ity, from the priesthood. If our brethren would get this
principle thoroughly established in their minds, there would
be less misunderstanding in relation to the functions of gov-
ernment in the Church than there is. Today the question is,
which is the greater — the high priest or the seventy— the
seventy or the high priest? I tell you that neither of. them
is the greater, and neither of them is the lesser. Their call-
ings lie in different directions, but they are from the same
Priesthood. If it were necessary, the seventy, holding the
Melchizedek Priesthood, as he does, I say if it were neces-
sary, he could ordain a high priest ; and if it were necessary
for a high priest to ordain a seventy, he could do that. Why?
Because both of them hold the Melchizedek Priesthood.
Then again, if it were necessary, though I do not expect
the necessity will ever arise, and there was no man left on
earth holding the Melchizedek Priesthood, except an elder —
that elder, by the inspiration of the Spirit of God and by
the direction of the Almighty, could' proceed, and should
proceed, to organize the Church of Jesus Christ in all its
perfection, because he holds the Melchizedek Priesthood.

PRIESTHOOD 185

But the house of God is a house of order, and while the
other officers remain in the Church, we must observe the
order of the priesthood, and we must perform ordinances
and ordinations strictly in accordance with that order, as it
has been established in the Church through the instrumen-
tality of the Prophet Joseph Smith and his successors. —
Oct. C. R., 1903, p. 87.

Necessity of Organization. The house of God is a
house of order, and not a house of confusion; and it could
not be thus, if there were not those who had authority to
preside, to direct, to counsel, to lead in the affairs of the
Church. No house would be a house of order if it were not
properly organized, as the Church of Jesus Christ of Latter-
day Saints is organized. Take away the organization of the
Church and its power would cease. Every part of its or-
ganization is necessary and essential to its perfect existence.
Disregard, ignore, or omit any part, and you start imper-
fection in the Church ; and if we should continue in that way
we would find ourselves like those of old, being led by error,
superstition, ignorance, and by the cunning and craftiness
of men. We would soon leaVe out here a little and there a
little, here a line and there a precept, until we would become
like the rest of the world, divided, disorganized, confused
and without knowledge; without revelation or inspiration,
and without Divine authority or power. — Apr. C. R., 1915,
p. 5.

Acceptance of the Priesthood a Serious Matter.
This makes a very serious matter of receiving this covenant
and this priesthood ; for those who receive it must, like God
himself, abide in it, and must not fail, and must not be
moved out of the way ; for those who receive this oath and
covenant and turn away from it, and cease to do righteous-
ly and to honor this covenant, and will to abide in sin, and
repent not, there is no forgiveness for them, either in this
life or in the world to come. That is the language of this

186 GOSPEL DOCTRINE

book, and this is doctrine and truth which was revealed from
God to men through the instrumentality of Joseph Smith
the prophet. And this word is reliable. It is God's word,
and God's word is truth; and it becomes necessary for all
those who enter into this covenant to understand this word,
that they may indeed abide in it, and may not be turned out
of the way.— Apr. C. R., 1898, p. 65. See Doc. and Cov.
84:33-41 ; Book of Mormon, Mosiah 5.

How Authority Should Be Administered. No man
should be oppressed. No authority of the priesthood can be
administered or exerted in any degree of unrighteousness,
without offending God. Therefore, when we deal with men
we should not deal with them with prejudice in our minds
against them. We should dismiss prejudice, dispel anger
from our hearts, and when we try our brethren for mem-
bership or fellowship in the Church, we should do it dispas-
sionately, charitably, lovingly, kindly, with a view to save
and not to destroy. That is our business ; our business is to
save the world, to save mankind; to bring them into har-
mony with the laws of God and with principles of righteous-
ness and of justice and truth, that they may be saved in the
Kingdom of our God, and become eventually, through obe-
dience to the ordinances of the gospel, heirs of God and joint
heirs with Jesus Christ. That is our mission. — Apr. C. R.,
1913, p. 6.

Authority Gives Enduring Power. The Church has
two characteristics — the temporal and the spiritual, and one
is not without the other. We maintain that both are essen-
tial and that one without the other is incomplete and inef-
lectual. Hence, the Lord instituted in the government of
the Church two priesthoods — the lesser or Aaronic, having
special charge of the temporal, and the higher or Melchiz-
edek, looking to the spiritual welfare of the people. In all
the history of the Church, there has never been a time when
considerable attention was not given to temporal affairs, in

PRIESTHOOD 187

the gathering places of- the Saints, under all the leaders up
to the present time, as witness the building of Kirtland, the
settlement of Missouri, Nauvoo, and the founding of cities
and towns in the far west, our present home. The Saints
have lived and helped each other to live, have worked out
their temporal salvation with zeal and energy, but withal,
have neither neglected nor forgotten the spiritual essence
of the great work inaugurated by divine order, as witness
their temples, and other houses of worship, that have marked
their every abiding place.

And so, while we have devoted much time to temporal
affairs, it has always been with a view to better our spiritual
condition, it being apparent that the temporal, rightly un-
derstood, is a great lever by which spiritual progress may be
achieved in this earthly sphere of action. Besides, we
have come to understand that all we do is indeed spiritual,
for before the Father there is no temporal. Hence in our
labors of redeeming the waste places, a strong spiritual vein
underlies the outward temporal covering. — Improvement
Era, Vol. 8, pp. 620, 623, 1904-5.

Ministry Should Know its Duties and the Use
of Authority. Of course it is very necessary that those
who preside in the Church, should learn thoroughly their
duties. There is not a man holding any position of author-
ity in the Church who can perform his duty as he should
in any other spirit than in the spirit of fatherhood and broth-
erhood toward those over whom he presides. Those who
have authority should not be rulers, nor dictators; they
should not be arbitrary; they should gain the hearts, the
confidence and the love of those over whom they preside, by
kindness and love unfeigned, by gentleness of spirit/ by
persuasion, by an example that is above reproach and above
the reach of unjust criticism. In this way, in the kindness
of their hearts, in their love for their people, they lead them
in the path of righteousness, and teach them the way of sal-

188 GOSPEL DOCTRINE

vation, by saying to them both by precept and example:
Follow me, as I follow our head. This is the duty of those
who preside. — Apr. C. R., 1915, p. 5.

How Officers in the Church are Chosen : A Word
to Bishops. They are faithful men chosen by inspiration.
The Lord has given us the way to do these things. He has
revealed to. us that it is the duty of the presiding authorities
to appoint and call; and then those whom they choose for
any official position in the Church shall be presented to the
body. If the body reject them, they are responsible for that
rejection. They have the right to reject, if they will, of to
receive them and sustain them by their faith and prayers.
That is strictly in accordance with the rule laid down of the
Lord. If any officer in the Church has my sympathy, it is
the bishop. If any officer in the Church deserves credit for
patience, for long-suffering, kindness, charity, and for love
unfeigned, it is the bishop who does his duty. And we feel
to sustain in our faith and love, the bishops and counselors
in Zion. We say to the bishoprics of the various wards : Be
united ; see eye to eye, even if you have to go down on your
knees before the Lord and humble yourselves until your
spirits will mingle and your hearts will be united one with
the other. When you see the truth, you will see eye to eye,
and you will be united. — Apr. C. R., 1907, p. 4.

Jurisdiction of Quorums of Priesthood. Now then,
we have our high priests' quorums or councils, and we have
our seventies' councils and our elders, and then we have the
councils of the priests, teachers and deacons in the lesser
Priesthood. These counc-ils each and all in their organized ca-
pacity, have jurisdiction over the fellowship of the members
of these councils — if the member is an elder, or if a man
has a standing in the seventies' quorum, or in the high
priests' quorum, and he is misbehaving himself, shows a lack
of faith, a lack of reverence for the position he holds in his
council, or quorum, his fellowship in that quorum to which

PRIESTHOOD 189

he belongs, or his standing should be looked after or in-
quired into, for he is amenable to his quorum for his good
standing and fellowship in it. So that we have the check
that the Lord has placed upon members of the Church, and
when I say members of the Church, I mean me, I mean the
apostles, I mean the high priests and the seventies and elders.
I mean everybody who is a member of the Church. — Apr.
C. R., 1913, p. 6.

Jurisdiction in Stakes and Wards. Now again, the
bishoprics, and the presidents of stakes, have exclusive juris-
diction over the membership or the standing of men and
women in their wards and in their stakes. I want to state
that pretty plain — that is to say, it is not my duty, it is not
the duty of the seven presidents of seventies, nor of the coun-
cil of the twelve apostles, to go into a stake of Zion and try
for membership, or for standing in the Church, any member
of a stake or ward. We have no business to do it; it be-
longs to the local authorities, and they have ample authority
to deal with the membership in their wards and in their
stakes. The bishops may try an elder for misconduct, for
unChristian-like conduct, for apostasy, or for wickedness
of any kind that would disqualify him for membership in
the Church, and they may pass upon him their judgment
that he is unworthy of fellowship in the Church, and they
may withdraw from him their fellowship. Then they may
refer his case to the presidency and high council, and it will
be the duty of the presidency and high council of the stake
to deal with him, even to the extent of excommunication
from the Church ; and there is no remedy for this, only the
right of appeal to the Presidency of the Church. If there
may be, perchance, any injustice and partiality, lack of in-
formation or understanding on the part df the bishopric,
which may not be corrected and therefore might be per-
petuated by the decision of the high council, and' the party
aggrieved does not feel that he has had justice dealt out to

190 GOSPEL DOCTRINE

him, he then has a right, under the laws of the Church, to
appeal to the Presidency of the Church, but not otherwise. —
Apr. C. R. f 1913, p. 5.

Duties of Those Engaged in the Ministry. I need
not say to my brethren engaged in the ministry that it is ex-
pected of them that one and all will attend to the labors and
be true to the responsibilities that rest upon them in the dis-
charge of their duties as officers in the Church. We expect
that the presidencies of the stakes of Zion will be exemplars
to the people. We expect them of a truth to be fathers unto
those over whom they preside; men of wisdom, of sound
judgment, impartial and just, men who will indeed qualify
themselves, or who are indeed qualified by their natural en-
dowments and by the inspiration from God which it is their
privilege to enjoy, to preside in righteousness and to sit in
righteous judgment over all matters brought to their atten-
tion, or that may legitimately belong to their office and call-
ing. We anticipate the same fidelity, the same faithfulness,
the same intelligent administration of their duties from the
bishops and their counselors, and indeed upon these rest per-
haps the greatest possible responsibility, for the reason that
they are expected by their presidencies to attend to the vari-
ous interests and needs of their people. It is expected of a
bishop to know all the people in his ward, not only those who
are faithful members of the Church, diligent in the perform-
ance of their duties and prominent by their good- acts, but to
know those who are cold and indifferent, those who are luke-
warm, those who are inclined to err and' to make mistakes,
and not only these, but it is expected that the bishops through
their aides in their wards, will become acquainted, not only
with their members, male and female, but that they will
know also the stranger that is within their gates and be pre-
pared to minister solace, comfort, good" counsel, wisdom and
every other aid possible to be rendered to those that are
in need', whether they are of the household of faith or are

PRIESTHOOD 191

strangers to the truth. So that there is a great deal ex-
pected of the bishops and their counselors and the elders and
lesser priesthood in their wards whom they call to their aid
in administering to the people both spiritually and tem-
porally, and I want to remark in this connection that it is the
duty of these bishops and of the presidencies of the stakes of
Zion, together with their high councils, to administer justice
and right judgment to every member of their wards and of
their stakes. Included in this are the high priests and the
seventies and the elders and the apostles and the patriarchs
and the presidency of the Church of Jesus Christ of Latter-
day Saints. No man who is a member of the Church of
Jesus Christ of Latter-day Saints or who has a standing in
the Church as a member, is exempt from his responsibilities
as a member and his allegiance to the bishop of the ward in
which he dwells. I am as much bound to acknowledge my
bishop as a member of the ward in which I dwell, as the
humblest and latest member of the Church. No man who
claims to be a member of the Church in good standing, can
ride above or become independent of the authority that the
Lord Almighty has established in his Church. This watch-
care of the people, of their right living, of their fidelity to
their covenants and to the gospel of Jesus Christ, belongs to
the presidents of stakes and their counselors and the high
councils, or members of the high council, to the bishop and
his counselors and the teachers of his ward'. — Apr. C. R. f
1913, p. 4.

The Purpose and the Duty of the Church : Qual-
ities of Leaders. The Lord bless you. I see before me
the leaders of the Church, the presiding spirits in the capacity
of presidents of stakes, counselors to presidents of stakes,
high councilors, bishops and their counselors, and those who
are engaged in our educational institutions and in other re-
sponsible positions in the Church. I honor you all. I love
you for your integrity to the cause of Zion. It is the king-

192 GOSPEL DOCTRINE

dom of God or nothing, so far as I am concerned. I cut no
figure personally in this work, and I am nothing except in
the humble effort to do my duty as the Lord gives me the
ability to do it. But it is the kingdom of God. What I
mean by the kingdom of God is the organization of the
Church of Jesus Christ of Latter-day Saints, of which Jesus
Christ is the king and the head; not as an organization in
any wise menacing or jeopardizing the liberties or rights of
the people throughout the world, but as an organization cal-
culated to lift up and ameliorate the condition of mankind ;
to make bad men good, if it is possible for them to repent
of their sins, and to make good men better. That is the
object and purpose of the Church, that is what it is accom-
plishing in the world. And it is very strict in regard to
these matters. Drunkards, whoremongers, liars, thieves,
those who betray the confidence of their fellowmen, those
who are unworthy of credence — such, when their character
becomes known, are disfellowshiped from the Church, and
are not permitted to have a standing in it, if we know it. It
is true that there are none of us but have our imperfections
and shortcomings. Perfection dwells not with mortal man.
We all have our weaknesses. But when a man abandons
the truth, virtue, his love for the gospel and for the people
of God, and becomes an open, avowed enemy, it becomes
the duty of the Church to sever him from the Church, and
the Church would be recreant to its duty if it did not sever
him from communion, cut him ofT, and let him go where he
pleases. We would do wrong if we hung on to and tried to
nurture such evil creatures in our midst, no matter what the
relationship may be that exists between us and them. There-
fore, I say again, the Church of Jesus Christ stands for
virtue, honor, truth, purity of life, and good will to all
mankind. It stands for God, the eternal Father, and for
Jesus Christ, whom the Father sent into the world, and
whom to know is life eternal. This is what the Church

PRIESTHOOD 193

stands for, and it cannot tolerate abomination, crime and
wickedness, on the part of those who may claim to have some
connection with it. We must sever ourselves from them, and
let them go. Not that we want to hurt them. We do not
want to hurt anybody. We never have, and we do not intend
to, hurt anybody. But we do not intend to be hurt by those
who are seeking our destruction, if we can help it. It is our
right to protect ourselves. — Apr. C. R., 1906, pp. 7, 8.

Leaders Must Be Courageous. One of the highest
qualities of all true leadership is a high standard of courage.
When we speak of courage and leadership we are using
terms that stand for the quality of life by which
men determine conscientiously the proper course to pur-
sue and stand with fidelity to their convictions. There
has never been a time in the Church when its leaders were
not required to be courageous men; not alone courageous
in the sense that they were able to meet physical dangers,
but also in the sense that they were steadfast and true to a
clear and upright conviction.

Leaders of the Church, then, should be men not easily
discouraged, not without hope, and not given to forebodings
of all sorts of evils to come. Above all things the leaders
of the people should never disseminate a spirit of gloom in
the hearts of the people. If men standing in high places
sometimes feel the weight and anxiety of momentous times,
they should be all the firmer and all the more resolute in
those convictions which come from a God-fearing conscience
and pure lives. Men in their private lives should feel the
necessity of extending encouragement to the people by their
own hopeful and cheerful intercourse with them as they do
by their utterances in public places. It is a matter of the
greatest importance that the people be educated to appre-
ciate and cultivate the bright side of life rather than to per-
mit its darkness and shadows to hover over them.

In order to successfully overcome anxieties in refer-

14

194 GOSPEL DOCTRINE

ence to questions that require time for their solution, an ab-
solute faith and confidence in God and in the triumph of his
work are essential.

The most momentous questions and the greatest dan-
gers to personal happiness are not always met and solved
within oneself, and if men cannot courageously meet the
difficulties and obstacles of their own individual lives and
natures, how are they to meet successfully those public ques-
tions in which the welfare and happiness of the public are
concerned. Men, then, who are called to leadership should
be alarmed at the possession of a disposition filled with fore-
bodings and misgivings and doubts and constant wonder-
ments. Clouds, threatening storms, frequently rise in the
horizon of life and" pass by as speedily as they came, so the
problems and difficulties and' dangers that beset us are not
always met and solved, nor overcome by our individual ef-
fort nor by our efforts collectively.

It is not discreditable to a man to say "I don't know,"
to questions whose solution lies wholly within some divine
purpose whose end it is not given man clearly to foresee. It
is, however, unfortunate when men and women allow such
questions, questions which time and patience alone can solve,
to discourage them and to defeat their own efforts in the
accomplishment of their chosen lives and professions. In
leaders undue patience and a gloomy mind are almost unpar-
donable, and it sometimes takes almost as much courage to
wait as to act. It is to be hoped then that the leaders of
God's people, and the people themselves, will not feel that
they must have at once a solution of every question that
arises to disturb the even tenor of their way.— Juvenile In-
structor, Vol. 38, p. 339, 1903.

Duties of Officers of the Church. The Lord here
especially demands of the men who stand at the head of this
Church, and who are responsible for the guidance and direc-
tion of the people of God, that they shall see to it that the

PRIESTHOOD 195

law of God is kept. It is our duty to do this. — Oct. C. R.,
1899, p. 41.

Truth Will Unite Us : Words to Church Officers.
The truth will never divide councils of the priesthood. It
will never divide presidents from their counselors, nor coun-
selors from their presidents, nor members of the Church
from one another, nor from the Church. The truth will
unite us and cement us together. It will make us strong,
for it is a foundation that cannot be destroyed. Therefore,
when bishops and their counselors do not see eye to eye, or
when presidents and their counselors have any difference
whatever in their sentiments or in their policy, it is their
duty to get together, to go before the Lord together and
humble themselves before him until they get revelation from
the Lord and see the truth alike, that they may go before
their people unitedly. It is the duty of the presidents of
stakes and high councilors to meet often, to pray together,
to counsel together, to learn each other's spirit, to under-
stand each other, and unite together, that there may be no
dissension nor division among them. The same with the
bishops and their counselors. The same may be said of the
councils of the priesthood from first to last. Let them get
together and' become united in their understanding of what
is right, just and true, and then go as one man to the accom-
plishment of the purpose they have in view. — Apr, C. R.,
1907, pp. 4, 5.

Officers to Set the Example. The Lord will make
a record also, and out of that shall the whole world be
judged. And you men of the holy priesthood — you apos-
tles, presidents, bishops, and high priests in Zion — will be
called upon to be the judges of the people. Therefore, it is
expected that you shall set the standard for them to attain
to, and see that they shall live according to the spirit of the
gospel, do their duty, and keep the commandments of the
Lord. You shall make a record of their acts. You shall

196 GOSPEL DOCTRINE

record when they are baptized, when they are confirmed,
and when they receive the Holy Ghost by the laying on of
hands. You shall record when they come to Zion, their
membership in the Church. You shall record whether tfiey
attend to their duties as priests, teachers or deacons, as
elders, seventies or high priests. You shall write their
works, as the Lord says here. You shall record their tith-
ings and give them credit for that which they do; and the
Lord will determine the difference between the credit which
they make for themselves and the credit which they should
make. The Lord will judge between us in that respect; but
we shall judge the people, first requiring them to do their
duty. In order to do that, those who stand at the head must
set the example. They must walk in the right path, and
invite the people to follow them. They should not seek to
drive the people ; they should not seek to become rulers ; but
they should be brethren and leaders of the people. — Apr.
C. R., 1901, p. 72.

Duty of the Holy Priesthood. It is the duty of this
vast body of men holding the holy priesthood, which is after
the order of the Son of God, to exert their influence and ex-
ercise their power for good among the people of Israel and
the people of the world. It is their bounden duty to preach
and to work righteousness, both at home and abroad. — ■
Oct, C. R. f 1901, p. 83.

How to Vote on Church Propositions. We desire
that the brethren and sisters will all feel the responsibility
of expressing their feelings in relation to the propositions
that may be put before you. We do not want any man or
woman who is a member of the Church to violate their con-
science. Of course, we are not asking apostates or non-
members of the Church to vote on the authorities of the
Church. We only ask for members of the Church in good
standing to vote on the propositions that shall be put be-

PRIESTHOOD 197

fore you, and we would like all to vote as they feel, whether
for 'or against.— Oct. C. R., 1902, p. 83.

Order of Voting for Officers of the Church. The
Presidency of the Church will first express their mind, thus
indicating, at least in some degree, the mind of the Spirit
and the suggestions from the head. Then the proposition
will be submitted to the apostles, for them to show their
willingness or otherwise to sustain the action of the First
Presidency. It will then go to the patriarchs, and they will
have the privilege of showing whether they will sustain the
action that has been taken ; then to the presidents of stakes
, and counselors and the high councilors ; then to the high
priests (that office in the Melchizedek priesthood which
holds the keys of presidency) ; next, the traveling elders —
the seventies — will be called to express their feelings, and
then the bishoprics of the Church and the lesser priesthood",
and after them the whole congregation. All the members
of the Church present will have the privilege of expressing
their view in relation to the matters which shall be pro-
posed, by a rising vote and by the uplifted hand. — Oct. C. R.,
1901, p. 73.

Officers Dependent on Voice of People. It is well
understood that we meet together in general conference
twice a year for the purpose of presenting the names of
those who have been chosen as presiding officers in the
Church, and it is understood that those who occupy these
positions are dependent upon the voice of the people for the
continuance of the authority, the rights and privileges they
exercise. The female members of this Church have the same
privileges of voting to sustain their presiding officers as the
male members of the Church, and the vote of a sister in good
standing counts in every way equal with the vote of a
brother.— Apr. C. R. f 1904, p. 73.

Nearly All Male Members Hold the Priesthood;
Responsibility. We want the people to understand, and

198 GOSPEL DOCTRINE

we would like the world to understand, the great fact that it-
is not the prominent leaders of the Church of Jesus Christ
of Latter-day Saints that wield all the influence among the
people of this Church. We want it understood that we have
fewer lay members in this Church, in proportion to the num-
ber of our membership, than you will find in any other
church upon the globe. Nearly every man in the Church of
Jesus Christ of Latter-day Saints holds the Melchizedek or
the Aaronic Priesthood, and may act in an official capacity
by authority of that priesthood whenever called upon to do
so. They are priests and kings, if you please, unto God in
righteousness. Out of this vast body of priests we call and.
ordain or set apart our presidents of stakes, our counselors,
our high councilors, our bishops and their counselors, our
seventies, our high priests, and our elders, upon whom rests
the responsibility of proclaiming the gospel of eternal truth
to all the world, and* upon whom also rests the great and
glorious responsibility of maintaining the dignity, the honor
and the sacredness of that calling and priesthood. So that
nearly every male person in the Church, who has reached the
years of accountability, is supposed to be, in his sphere, a
pillar in Zion, a defender of the faith, an exemplar, a man
of righteousness, truth and soberness, a man of virtue and
of honor, a good citizen of the state in which he lives, and a
staunch and loyal citizen of the great country that we are
proud to call our home. — Apr. C. R. } 1903, p. 73.

Many Hold the Melchizedek Priesthood. Although
we may enjoy a little advantage over the rest of the congre-
gation, for my part I could stay here a week longer to hear
the testimonies of my brethren, and to give to the world
an opportunity to see and know that the priesthood in the
Church of Jesus Christ of Latter-day Saints is not confined
to one man, nor to three men, nor to fifteen men, but that
there are thousands of men in Zion who hold the Melchiz-
edek Priesthood, which is after the order of the Son of God,

PRIESTHOOD 199

and who possess keys of authority and' power to minister for
life and salvation among the people of the world. I would
like to give the world an opportunity to see what we are, to
hear what we know, and to understand what our business is,
and what we intend to do, by the help of the Lord. — Oct.
C. R., 1903, p. 73.

Priesthood Quorums' Responsibilities. We expect
'to see the day, if we live long enough (and if some of us do
not live long enough to see it, there are others who will),
when every council of the Priesthood" in the Church of Jesus
Christ of Latter-day Saints will understand its duty; will
assume its own responsibility, will magnify its calling, and
fill its place in the Church, to the uttermost, according to
the intelligence and ability possessed by it. When that day
shall come, there will not be so much necessity for work that
is now being done by the auxiliary organizations, because it
will be done by the regular quorums of the priesthood. The
Lord designed and' comprehended it from the beginning, and
he has made provision in the Church whereby every need
may be met and satisfied through the regular organizations
of the priesthood. It has truly been said that the Church is
perfectly organized. The only trouble is that these organi-
zations are not fully alive to the obligations that rest upon
them. When they become thoroughly awakened to the re-
quirements made of them, they will fulfil their duties more
faithfully, and the work of the Lord will be all the stronger
and more powerful and influential in the world. — Apr. C. R.,
1906, p. 3.

What is Priesthood ? Honor that power and author-
ity which we call the Holy Priesthood, which is after the
order of the Son of God, and which has been conferred
upon man by God himself. Honor that priesthood. What
is that priesthood? It is nothing more and nothing less than
divine authority committed unto man from God. That is
the principle that we should honor. We hold the keys of

200 GOSPEL DOCTRINE

that authority and priesthood ourselves ; it has been con-
ferred upon the great masses of the Latter-day Saints. It
has, indeed, I may say, been bestowed upon many that were
not worthy to receive it and who have not magnified it, and
who have brought disgrace upon themselves and upon the
priesthood which was conferred upon them. The priesthood
of the Son of God cannot be exercised in any degree of un-
righteousness ; neither will its power, its virtue and author-
ity abide with him who is corrupt, who is treacherous in
his soul toward God and toward his fellowmen. It will not
abide in force and power with him who does not honor it in
his life by complying with the requirements of heaven. —
Apr. C. R., 1904, p. 3.

Where and How Counsel Should be Sought. The
attention of the young men in the Church is called' to the
need of conforming to the order of the Church in matters
of difficulty that may arise between brethren, and members
and officers, and also in other things where counsel is sought.

The youth of Zion should remember that the founda-
tion principle in settling difficulties lies in the persons them-
selves who are in difficulty making the adjustments and set-
tlements. If those who vary cannot adjust their differences,
it is infinitely more difficult, if not impossible, for a third* or
fourth party to create harmony between them. In any event,
such outside parties can only aid the contending persons to
come to an understanding.

But, in case it is necessary to call in the priesthood as a
third party, there is a proper order in which this should be
done. If no conclusion can be arrived at, in a difficulty or
difference between two members of the Church, the ward
teachers should be called to assist ; failing then, appeal may
be made to the bishop, then to the high council of the stake,
and only after the difficulty has been tried before that body
should the matter ever come before the general presiding

PRIESTHOOD 201

quorum of the Church. It is wrong to disregard any of
these authorized steps, or authorities.

This matter is generally understood in cases of diffi-
culty, but does not seem to be so well understood' in what
may be termed smaller, but nevertheless quite as weighty
subjects. We often find instances where the counsel and
advice and judgment of the priesthood next in order is en-
tirely overlooked, or completely disregarded. Men go to
the president of the stake for counsel when in reality, they
should consult their teachers or bishop; and often come to
the First Presidency, apostles or seventies, when the presi-
dent of their stake has never been spoken to. This is wrong,
and not at all in compliance with the order of the Church.
The priesthood of the ward should never be overlooked in
any case where the stake authorities are consulted; nor
should the stake authorities be disregarded, that the counsel
of the general authorities may be obtained. Such a course
of disregarding the proper local officers is neither in con-
formity with the Church instructions and organization, nor
conducive to good order. It creates confusion. Every of-
ficer in the Church has been placed in his position to mag-
nify the same, to be a guardian and counselor of the people.
All should be consutled and respected in their positions, and
never overlooked in their places.

In this way only can prevail that harmony and unity
which are characteristic of the Church of Christ. The re-
sponsibility also of this great work is thus placed upon the
laboring priesthood, who share it with the general author-
ities; and thus likewise, the perfection, strength and power
of Church organization shine forth with clearer lustre. —
Improvement Era, Vol. 5, p 230; Jan., 1902.

Parents Should Be Consulted. One of the first
duties that a young man owes in the world is his duty to his
father and mother. The commandment which God gave
early in the history of the Israelites : "Honor thy father and

202 GOSPEL DOCTRINE

thy mother," was accompanied with a promise that holds
good to this day ; namely : "That thy days may be long upon
the land' which the Lord thy God giveth thee."

With obedience naturally comes that respect and con-
sideration for his parents that should characterize a noble
youth. They stand as the head of the family, the patriarch,
the mother, the rulers; and no child should fail to consult
them and obtain counsel from them throughout his whole
career under the parental roof.

This feeling should be respected by the Church. Hence
officers who desire to use the services of a young man in any
capacity for the business of the Church, should not fail to
consult the father before the call is made. We have in-
stances where young men have even been called to fulfil im-
portant missions ; their names having been suggested to the
Church by bishops of wards, or by presidents of quorums,
without the father having been consulted whatever. The
parents have been entirely overlooked. This is neither
desirable nor right, nor is it in conformity with the order
of the Church, or the laws that God instituted from the early
times. The Church is patriarchal in its character and na-
ture, and it is highly proper and right that the head of the
family, the father, should be consulted by officers in all
things that pertain to the calling of his children to any of
the duties in the Church. No one understands as well as
the father, the conditions that surround the family, and
what fs best for his children; his wishes should therefore
be consulted and respected.

Our elders would justly think it wrong to baptize a
wife without the consent of her husband, and children with-
out the consent of the parents. So also, it is improper for
any officer' in the Church to call the children in any family,
as long as they are under the care and keeping of the par-
ents, to receive any ordination, or to perform any calling
in the Church, without first consulting the parents.

PRIESTHOOD 203

The family organization lies at the basis of all true
government, and too much stress cannot be placed upon the
importance of the government in the family being as perfect
as possible, nor upon the fact that in all instances respect
therefor should be upheld.

Young men should be scrupulously careful to impress
upon their minds the necessity of consulting with father
and mother in all that pertains to their actions in life. Re-
spect and veneration for parents should be inculcated into
the hearts of the young people of the Church — father and
mother to be respected, their wishes to be regarded — and
in the heart of every child should be implanted this thought
of esteem and consideration for parents, which characterized
the families of the ancient patriarchs.

God is at the head of the human race; we look up to
him as the Father of all. We cannot please him more than
by regarding and respecting and honoring our fathers and
our mothers, who are the means of our existence here upon
the earth.

I desire, therefore, to impress upon the officers of the
Church the necessity of consulting fathers in all things that
pertain to the calling of their sons to the priesthood, and to
the labors of the Church, that the respect and veneration
which children should show for parents may not be disturbed
by the Church, nor overstepped by its officers. In this way
harmony and good will are made to prevail; and the sanc-
tion of the families and the family life, on which the gov-
ernment of the. Church is based and perpetuated, will thus
be added to the calls of the holy priesthood, insuring unity,
strength and power in its every action. — Improvement Era,
Vol. 5, p. 307; Feb., 1902.

Proper Use of Titles of the Priesthood. There is
also another point in this connection to which attention may
profitably be drawn. It is the too frequent use in the ordin-
ary conversation of the Saints of the titles "Prophet, Seer

204 GOSPEL DOCTRINE

and Revelator," "Apostle," etc. These titles are too sacred
to be used indiscriminately in our common talk. There are
occasions when they are quite proper and in place, but in our
every-day conversations it is sufficient honor to address any
brother holding the Melchizedek Priesthood as elder. The
term elder is a general one, applying to all those who hold
the higher priesthood, whether they be apostles, patriarchs,
high priests or seventies ; and to address a brother as Apostle
So-and'-So, or Patriarch Such-a-One, in the common talk of
business, and the like, is using titles too sacred to be in place
on such occasions. It, in a lesser degree, partakes of the
character of that evil of which we are so often warned — the
too frequent use of the name of that Holy Being whom we
worship, and of his Son, our Redeemer. To avoid this evil
the Saints in ancient days called the holy priesthood after
the great high priest Melchizedek, while the royal and cor-
rect title is, "The priesthood after the order of the Son of
God." The use of all these titles continuously and indis-
criminately savors somewhat of blasphemy, and is not pleas-
ing to our heavenly Father. — Juvenile Instructor, Vol. 38,
p. 20; Jan. 1, 1903.

All Officers of the Priesthood Necessary and
Should Be Respected. I believe it to be the duty of the
Church to recognize and acknowledge every man that holds
an official position in it, in his sphere and in his calling. I
hold to the doctrine that the duty of a teacher is as sacred
as the duty of an apostle, in the sphere in which he is called
to act, and that every member of the Church is as much in
duty bound to honor the teacher who visits him in his home,
as he is to honor the office and 'counsel of the presiding quo-
rum of the Church. They all have the priesthood ; they are
all acting in their callings, and they are all essential in their
places, because the Lord has appointed them and set them in
his Church. We cannot ignore them; or, if we do, the sin
will be upon our heads. — Oct. C. R., 1902, p. 86.

PRIESTHOOD 205

Checks Upon Church Members. I say that when
these members of the Church are in error or doing wrong,
we have the check on them in the first place in the wards;
bishops look after them ; then their quorums to which they
belong have jurisdiction and they are required to look after
them, too, and then after the quorums look after them the
presidencies of the stakes look after them and see that they
are helped; that they are strengthened; that they are ad-
monished ; that they are warned, and that they are applauded
when they do their duties and keep the commandments of
the Lord. So the Lord has placed a great many checks upon
the members of the Church with a view to teaching them
right principles, to help them to do right, to live right and
to be pure and clean from the sins of the world, that the
body of the Church may be perfected, that it may be free
from disease, from all contagious evils, just as the body of
the man Jesus Christ is free from all taint, evil and sin. So
God has placed these safeguards in the Church, from the
deacons to the apostles, and to the Presidency of the Church,
with a view of persuading men and women to keep them-
selves pure and unspotted from the world and to help them
to be faithful to their covenants entered into with one an-
other and with their God. — Apr. C. R., 1913, pp. 6, 7.

The Priesthood Should Know Section 107 of the
Doctrine and Covenants. I now say to the brethren of
the priesthood — the high priests, the seventies, the elders
and the lesser priesthood — magnify your callings ; study the
scriptures ; read the 107th section of the Doctrine and Cove-
nants on priesthood; learn that revelation, which was given
through the Prophet Joseph Smith, and live by its precepts
and doctrine, and you will gain power and intelligence to
straighten out many kinks that have heretofore existed in
your minds, and to clear up many doubts and uncertainties
in relation to the rights of the priesthood. God gave that
word to us. It is in force today in the Church and in the

206 GOSPEL DOCTRINE

world, and' it contains instruction to the priesthood and the
people in relation to their duties, which every elder should
know.— Oct. C. R. t 1902, p. 88.

Who is Fit to Preside ? Every man should be willing
to be presided over ; and he is not fit to preside over others
until he can submit sufficiently to the presidency of his breth-
ren. — Improvement Era, Vol. 31, p. 105.

Obligations of the Priesthood. Think what it means
to hold keys of authority which — if exercised in wisdom
and in righteousness — are bound to be respected by the
Father, the Son, and the Holy Ghost! Do you honor this
Priesthood? Do you respect the office and honor the key
of authority that you possess in the Melchizedek priesthood,
which is after the order of the Son of God? Will you, who
hold this priesthood, profane the name of Deity? Would
you be riotous, and eat and drink with the drunken, with the
unbelieving and with the profane? Would you, holding that
priesthood, forget your prayers, and fail to remember the
Giver of all good? Would you, holding that priesthood,
and possessing the right and authority from God to admin-
ister in the name of the Father, and of the Son, and of the
Holy Ghost, violate the confidence and the love of God, the
hope and desire of the Father of all of us? For, in bestow-
ing that key and blessing upon you, he desires and expects
you to magnify your calling. Would you, as an elder in the
Church of Jesus Christ, dishonor your wife or your children ?
Would you desert the mother of your children, the wife of
your bosom, the gift of God to you, which is more precious
than life itself? For without the woman the man is not
perfect in the Lord, no more than the woman is perfect with-
out the man. Will you honor the Sabbath day and keep it
holy ? Will you observe the law of tithing and all the other re-
quirements of the gospel? Will you carry with you at all
times the spirit of prayer and the desire to do good? Will
you teach your children the principles of life and salvation,

PRIESTHOOD 207

# •

so that when they are eight years old they will desire bap-
tism, of their own accord? — Improvement Era, Vol. 21, De-
cember, 1917, pp. 105-6.

How Honor for Those Who Bear the Priesthood
is Begotten. If you will honor the holy priesthood in
yourself first, you will honor it in those who preside over you,
and in those who administer in the various callings through-
out the Church. — Improvement Era, Vol. 21, December,
1917, p. 106.

Priesthood Membership Rolls. First. — Each quorum
should have one roll only, and every person holding the
Priesthood should be enrolled in the quorum having juris-
diction in the ward where his Church membership is re-
corded. The practice of keeping a supplemental or inactive
roll is not approved.

Second. — Recommends from one quorum to another are
not required. The present arrangement for admitting mem-
bers in the quorum is already published as follows :

"The certificate of ordination should be carefully pre-
served by the person ordained; and; whenever necessary, it
should be presented to the proper authority as an evidence
of his ordination. Upon this evidence he should be admit-
ted to membership in the usual manner by the quorum hav-
ing jurisdiction in the ward or stake where he resides, pro-
vided he has been accepted as a member of the ward. If
he does not possess a certificate of ordination, and the recom-
mend upon which he is received in the ward names his
Priesthood and ordination, it should be accepted as evidence
that he holds that office, provided there is no evidence to
the contrary, and provided he has been admitted as a mem-
ber of the ward in full fellowship."

Third. — When a person holding the Priesthood re-
moves from one ward to another and is accepted as a mem-
ber of the ward into which he moves, it becomes the duty
of the Ward Clerk to notify the president of the quorum

208 GOSPEL DOCTRINE

m

of the arrival of this person. The new member should pre-
sent his certificate of ordination as evidence that he holds the
Priesthood, and upon that certificate he should be presented
for admission to membership in the quorum to which mem-
bers of that ward holding the same Priesthood belong. It is
the duty of the Ward Clerk to report at the next ward
weekly Priesthood meeting the arrival of any person hold-
ing the Priesthood, and every such newly arrived member
should be enrolled in the proper class, whether he has at-
tended a class meeting or not.

Fourth. — When a member holding the Priesthood be-
comes a member of the ward, the proper quorum officer hav-
ing jurisdiction should look after him and see that he be-
comes enrolled in the quorum.

Fifth. — It is the duty of the secretary of a High Priests'
or Elders' quorum to prepare certificates of ordination, and
to have them signed by the proper officers, presented to the
Ward Clerk to be entered upon the ward record, and then
delivered to the persons in whose favor they are issued.
Seventies' quorums, however, do not issue certificates of
ordination. They are issued by the First Council of Seventy.
Therefore, Seventies' quorums should not be provided with
certificates. When a person is ordained to the office of Sev-
enty, requesting a certificate of ordination to be mailed or de-
livered to the quorum officer, and after it has been entered
on the quorum record and the ward record, it should be de-
livered to the person in whose favor it is issued.

Sixth. — When a quorum withdraws its fellowship from
one of its members, a report of the action of the quorum
should be sent to the Bishop of the ward. — Improvement
Era, Vol. 19, pp. 752-753.

All Should Exercise Their Authority. A deacon
in the Church should exercise the authority of that calling
in the priesthood, and honor that position as sincerely and
faithfully as a high priest or an apostle should his calling,

PRIESTHOOD 209

feeling that he bears a portion of the responsibility of the
kingdom of God in the world, in common with all his breth-
ren. Every man should feel in his heart the necessity of
doing his part in the great latter-day work. All should seek
to be instrumental in rolling it forth. More especially is it
the duty of every one who possesses any portion of the au-
thority of the holy priesthood" to magnify and honor that
calling, and nowhere can we begin to do so to better advan-
tage than right here, within ourselves, and when we- have
cleaned the inside of the platter, cleansed our own hearts,
corrected our own lives, fixed our minds upon doing our
whole duty towards God and man, we will be prepared to
wield an influence for good in the family circle, in society,
and in all the walks of life. — Deseret Weekly News, Vol.
24, p. 708.

The Leaders of Israel. These mighty men who sit
before this stand, clothed with power from Almighty God,
are not self-called. They have not been chosen by man.
They have not chosen themselves, but they have been called
by the power of the Almighty to stand in high places in the
Church of Jesus Christ of Latter-day Saints, as presidents,
as fathers to the people, as counselors, as judges, and as
leaders, walking in the way that the people of God should
follow them into all truth and into the 'possession of greater
light, greater power and wisdom and understanding. God
bless you, my brethren. And while you stand united, as you
have stood in the past, and as you have manifested your
union here during this conference, so God will magnify you
before your flocks and in the midst of your people, and will
increase your power and your strength to do good and to
accomplish his purposes, until you shall be satisfied with
your labors and have exceeding great joy therein; and your
people will rise up and call you blessed, they will pray for
you and sustain you by their faith and good works. — Oct.
C. R., 1905, p. 94.

15

210 GOSPEL DOCTRINE

A Testimony of Joseph Smith and His Successors.
I bear my testimony to you and to the world, that Joseph
Smith was raised up by the power of God to lay the founda-
tions of this great Latter-day work, to reveal the fulness of
the gospel to the world in this dispensation, to restore the
priesthood of God to the world, by which men may act in the
name of the Father, and of the Son, and of the Holy Ghost,
and it will be accepted of God; it will be by his authority.
I bear my testimony to it ; I know that it is true.

I bear my testimony to the divine authority of those who
have succeeded the Prophet Joseph Smith in the presidency
of this Church. They were men of God. I knew them; I
was intimately associated with them and as one man may
know another, through the intimate knowledge that he pos-
sesses of him, so I can bear testimony to the integrity, to
the honor, to the purity of life, to the intelligence, and to
the divinity of the mission and calling of Brigham, of John,
of Wilford, and of Lorenzo. They were inspired of God to
fill the mission to which they were called, and I know it. I
thank God for that testimony and for the Spirit that
prompts me and impels me towards these men, toward their
mission, toward this people, toward my God and my Re-
deemer. I thank the Lord for it, and I pray earnestly that
it may never depart* from me — worlds without end. — Oct.
C. R., 1910, pp. 4, 5.

Goodness of the Leaders of the Church. I have
served from my youth up along with such men as Brigham
Young, Heber C. Kimball, Willard Richards, George A.
Smith, Jedediah M. Grant, Daniel H. Wells, John Taylor,
George Q. Cannon, and Wilford Woodruff and his associ-
ates, and Lorenzo Snow and his associates, the members
of the twelve apostlse, the seventies, and the high priests
in the Church of Jesus Christ of Latter-day Saints, for more
than sixty years ; and, that my word may be heard by every
stranger within the sound of my voice, I want to testify to

PRIESTHOOD 211

you that better men than these have never lived, within the
range of my acquaintance. I can so testify because I was
familiar with these men, grew up from babyhood with them,
associated with them in council, in prayer and supplication,
and in travel from settlement to settlement through our
country here, and in crossing the plains. I have heard them
in private and in public, and I bear my testimony to you
that they were men of God, true men, pure men, God's noble
men. Virtuous men, who never were either tempted to do
evil or tempted others to do wrong, men whose examples and
whose lives were above reproach, except in what corrupt,
wicked or ignorant men supposed they saw and presumed
to denounce as wrong in them. — Apr. C. R., 1917, p. 6.

Divine Missions of Presidents of Church. I testify
to you, as I know and feel that I live and move and have
my being, that the Lord raised up the boy prophet, Joseph
Smith, and endowed him with divine authority, and taught
him those things which were necessary for him to know that
he might have power to lay the foundation of God's Church
and kingdom in the earth. Joseph Smith was true to the
covenants that he made with the Lord, true to his mission,
and the Lord enabled him to accomplish his work, even to
the sealing of his testimony with his shed blood. His testi-
mony is now, and has been, in force among the children
of men as verily as the blood of Jesus Christ is in force
and a binding testimony upon all the world, and it has been
from the day it was shed until now, and will continue until
the winding up scene.

I bear my testimony to you, my brethren and sisters, of
the divinity of the mission and work that was accomplished
by President Brigham Young and his associates in fleeing
from the wrath that threatened in Illinois and Missouri and
other places, into these peaceful vales, which was done by the
will of heaven and by the guiding power of the Holy Spirit.
President Young and the pioneers were enabled to lay the

212 GOSPEL DOCTRINE

foundation of a commonwealth, the equal of which is scarcely
to be found within the borders of our glorious land, and it
was done, not by the wisdom of Brother Brigham, nor of
Brother Heber C. Kimball, nor of any of their associates,
grand men as they were, true servants of the living God as
they were, faithful and true to their callings, grand as was
their integrity to the cause of Zion — but back of them, be-
hind them, above them and below, and all around them, was
the power of God, leading and directing them, and thus con-
summating his purposes through their instrumentality. We
give the honor to our Father in heaven, and we also honor
and bless the names of those great and good men whom the
Lord chose to accomplish his purposes, and through whom
he did accomplish his purpose without failure.

I bear my testimony to the integrity of John Taylor
as one of the purest men I ever knew in my life, a man clean
from head to foot, clean in body and clean in spirit, free from
every vulgar thing, so common among the children of men.
I know whereof I speak, for I was with him day and night,
month after month, and year after year, and I bear my tes-
timony of his integrity. He was a martyr with the Prophet
Joseph Smith. He suffered more than death with Joseph
and Hyrum, and the Lord preserved him and honored him
by calling him to take charge of his work for a season in the
earth, thus exalting him to that most glorious and most re-
sponsible position that any man could be calkd to occupy in
the Church of Jesus Christ of Latter-day Saints.

I bear my testimony to the faithfulness of Wilford
Woodruff, a man in whom there was no guile, a man honest
to the core, a man susceptible to the impressions of the Spirit
of the Lorcf, a man guided by inspiration in the performance
of his duty, far more than by any gift of wisdom or of judg-
ment that he himself possessed.

I bear my testimony to the work that was accomplished
by President Lorenzo Snow, although it was brief, yet some

PRIESTHOOD 213

of the things which were left for him to do were absolutely
necessary in order to relieve his successor and others that
may arise in time to come, from mistakes and errors that
had crept in before.

As to the present administration of the gospel and of
the work of the Lord I have nothing to say. Let the work
speak for itself, let the people and the voice of the people
of the Church of Jesus Christ of Latter-day Saints say what
is being done by the Lord, let it not be said by me, nor by
my counselors and my associates. The Lord forbid that I
should ever imagine for one moment that we are of any
great importance in this great work of the Lord. Others
may be raised up, and the Lord can shape their minds. He
can qualify them and can humble them, if need be, to fit
them for the duties and responsibilities that may be required
at their hands. I believe that Zion is prospering, and that
so far as our spiritual life, our spiritual growth, and our
faith are concerned, as well as our temporal condition, we
are prosperous, and all is well in Zion today. — Oct. C. R.,
1917.

The Presidents of the Church Have Been Inspired.
I knew President Brigham Young, and I bear my testimony
to the world that not only was Joseph Smith inspired of
God and raised up to lay the foundations of this great latter-
day work, but Brigham Young was raised up and sustained
by the power of Almighty God to continue the mission
of Joseph and to accomplish the work that he laid out dur-
ing his lifetime. I have been connected with President
John Taylor, and I testify that he also was a man of God.
He was indeed God's mouthpiece. He was a martyr with
the Prophet Joseph, for his blood was shed with Joseph's
and Hyrum's, but the Lord preserved his life, that he might
fulfil the mission unto which he was called, to preside over
the Church for a season. I was intimately acquainted with
President Wilford Woodruff, and I bear testimony to the

214 GOSPEL DOCTRINE

mission of that gracious, good man. I have also been more
or less intimate with President Snow, and I bear testimony
that his work was of God.— Oct. C. R. (Special), 1901, p. 96.

When to Organize the First Presidency. After the
death of the Prophet Joseph Smith, the Twelve Apostles
continued as the presiding quorum of the Church for a num-
ber of years ; but finally they were moved upon by the Holy
Spirit to reorganize the First Presidency of the Church, with
Brigham Young, as president, and Heber C. Kimball and
Willard Richards as his counselors. In reality this organiza-
tion might have been effected within twenty-four hours after
the death of the Prophet Joseph Smith, but their action
was delayed, until they found by experience that the exercise
of the functions of Presidency and the government of the
Church by twelve men at the head, was not only cumbersome
but was not fully perfect in the order of the Holy Priesthood
as established by the Lord. On the death of President Brig-
ham Young, President John Taylor followed in some meas-
ure the example of his predecessor, and it was some time
before the Presidency of the Church was organized. The
Presidency was finally organized, however, with John Tay-
lor as President, and George Q. Cannon and myself as coun-
selors.

At the death of President Taylor, President Woodruff
hesitated, and he allowed a little time to pass before the
Presidency was again organized. When at last he became
convinced that it was his duty, and necessary in order to
carry out the purposes of the Lord, he organized the Pres-
idency of the Church. At that time he gave a solemn injunc-
tion to his fellow servants in relation to this. He desired it
understood that in all future times, when the President of
the Church should die, and thereby the First Presidency
become disorganized, it would be the duty of the proper
authorities of the Church to proceed at once, without any
unnecessary delay, to reorganize the First Presidency.

PRIESTHOOD 215

As soon as the news reached us of the death of Pres-
ident Woodruff, who was in California at the time, Presi-
dent Lorenzo Snow said to me, "it will be our duty to pro-
ceed as soon as possible to reorganize the Presidency of the
Church." As you are aware, after the burial of the re-
mains of President Woodruff, he proceeded at once to do
this. In this connection I may tell you another thing. Pres-
ident Snow said to me, "you will live to be the President of
the Church of Jesus Christ of Latter-day Saints, and when
that time comes you should proceed at once and reorganize
the Presidency of the Church/' This was his counsel to me,
and the same was given to the Twelve Apostles. In accord-
ance with the principle and with the injunction of President
Snow, within one week after his dearth the apostles pro-
ceeded to designate Jthe new Presidency of the Church and
we did" it strictly in accordance with the pattern that the
Lord has established in his Church, unanimously.

I desire to read a little from the revelation in relation
to the order of the Holy Priesthood, that you may under-
stand our views concerning adhering as nearly as we can
to the holy order of government that has been established
by revelation through the Prophet Joseph Smith in the Dis-
pensation of the Fulness of Times. We cannot deny the
fact that the Lord has effected one of the most perfect or-
ganizations, in this Church, that ever existed upon the earth.
I do not know of any more perfect organization than exists
in the Church of Jesus Christ of Latter-day Saints today.
We have not always carried out strictly the order of the
Priesthood ; we have varied from it to some extent ; but we
hope in due time that, by the promptings of the Holy Spirit,
we will be led up into the exact channel and course that the
Lord has marked out for us to pursue, and adhere strictly
to the order that he has established. I will read from a rev-
elation that was given to the Prophet Joseph Smith, at
Nauvoo, Hancock Co., Illinois, January 19, 1841, which

216 GOSPEL DOCTRINE

stands as the law of the Church in relation to the presenta-
tions of the authorities of the Holy Priesthood as they were
established in the Church, and from which I feel that we
have no right to depart. — Oct, C, R. (Special), 1901, pp.
70, 71. Doc. and Cov. 124:123-145.

: First Presidency Not Necessarily Apostles. We
have the council of' the first presidency consisting of three
presiding high priests who are called of God and appointed
to preside over the Church and over the priesthood of God,
and I want to say here that it does not follow and never has
followed that the members of the first presidency of the
Church are necessarily to be ordained apostles. They hold
by virtue of their rights as presidents of the Church all the
keys and all the authority that pertains to the Melchizedek
priesthood, which comprehends and comprises all of the ap-
pendages to that priesthood, the lesser priesthood, and all
the offices in the priesthood from first to last and from the
least to the greatest.— Apr, C, R., 1912.

The Priesthood and its Offices. In the Era for
February, it was stated that several persons who had acted
as counselors in the First Presidency had never been or-
dained apostles. Several correspondents have objected to
the statement that Sidney Rigdon, Jedediah M. Grant, Dan-
iel H. Wells, John R. Winder, and others were not ordained
apostles. We still maintain, upon lack of convincing evi-
dence to the contrary, that none of these brethren was ever
ordained an apostle. We do know positively that John R.
Winder, Sidney Rigdon, Wm. Law and Hyrum Smith, all
of whom were members in the First Presidency of the
Church, were never ordained apostles. But, be that as it
may, however, the main point we wish to make is this, that
it was not necessary that they should so be ordained apostles
in order to hold the position of counselor in the First Pres-
idency. The leading fact to be remembered is that the
Priesthood is greater than any of its offices; and that any

PRIESTHOOD 217

man holding the Melchizedek Priesthood may, by virtue of
its possession, perform any ordinance pertaining thereto,
or connected therewith, when called upon to do so by one
holding the proper authority, which proper authority is
vested in the President of the Church, or in any whom he
may designate. Every officer in the Church is under his
direction, and he is directed of God. He is also selected of
the Lord to be the head of the Church, and so becomes, when
the Priesthood of the Church, (which includes its officers
and its members) shall have so accepted and upheld him.
(Doctrine and Covenants, section 107:22). No man can
justly presume to have authority to preside, merely by virtue
of his priesthood, as is the case with Joseph Smith of the re-
organized church, for in addition, he must be chosen and
accepted" by the Church. The reverse was the case with him.
Such action was repudiated by the Twelve, the quorum in
authority after the martyrdom, and by the whole Church.
An office in the priesthood is a calling, like apostle, high
priest, seventy, elder, and derives all its authority' from
that priesthood; these officers hold different callings, but
the same priesthood.

The apostolic office, in its very nature, is a proselyting
office. When an apostle presides, he, like the high priest, the
seventy, the elder, or the bishop, presides because of the
high priesthood' which has been conferred upon him; and
furthermore, because he has been called upon so to do by
the acknowledged head of the Church. (Doctrine and Cov-
enants, section 107:23-33). And so with the high priest
who has been called to officiate in the First Presidency, in
which case he is "accounted equal" with the President of
the Church in holding the keys of the Presidency (section
90:6) as long as the President remains. When he dies, the
calling of his counselors ends, and the responsibility of
Presidency falls upon the quorum of Twelve Apostles, be-
cause they hold the Holy Melchizedek Priesthood and are

218 GOSPEL DOCTRINE

the next quorum in authority. (Doctrine and Covenants,
section 107:24). It is not the apostleship (Doctrine and
Covenants, section 107), but the priesthood and the calling
by proper authority which enables any person to preside.
Every man holding the Holy Melchizedek Priesthood may
act in any capacity and do all things that such priesthood
holds, provided he is called upon by proper authority to so
officiate ; but he would have no right to depart from the lim-
itations of his office, unless he is specially called upon by
one whose calling, from those over him up to the head,
would clearly authorize him to give such instructions. It
is always to be presumed, also, that order will be observed,"
and that the servants of the Lord will not depart from that
order, and call upon men to do things which the law of
the priesthood and the nature of their office do not author-
ize, unless there is special occasion for it. The Lord says
that all things are governed by law. (See Doctrine and
Covenants, section 88 :42). It is not consistent, for instance,
to imagine that the Lord would call upon a deacon to
baptize.

Witness the calling, on -February 14, 1835, of David
Whitmer and Martin Harris, both high priests, by the
Prophet Joseph, in conformity with prior revelation from
God (see Doctrine and Covenants, section 18) to "search
out the Twelve." They chose the Twelve, ordained, and set
them apart for their exalted callings, because they were
called upon by the prophet of God who had been instructed
of the Lord, and also because these men held the necessary
authority of the priesthood, which authority was exercised,
in this case as it should be in all cases, upon proper calling.
The Doctrine and Covenants makes it very clear that while
each officer in the Church has a right to officiate in his own
standing, "the Melchizedek Priesthood holds the right of
presidency, and has power and authority over all the offices
in the Church in all ages of the world, to administer in spir-

PRIESTHOOD 219

itual things." (Doctrine and Covenants, section 107:8.)

Further, in the same revelation, verses 65 and 66, we
are told:

"Wherefore it must needs be that one be appointed of
the high priesthood to preside over the priesthood, and he
shall be called president of the high priesthood of the
Church ;

"Or, in other words, the presiding high priest over the
high priesthood of the Church. "

It is well to remember that the term "high priesthood/'
as frequently used, has reference to the Melchizedek Priest-
hood, in contradistinction to the "lesser," or Aaronic, Priest-
hood. — Improvement Era, Vol. 5, p. 549, May, 1902.

Authority of the President of the Church. I have
the right to bless. I hold the keys of the Melchizedek
Priesthood and of the office and power of patriarch. It is
my right to bless ; for all the keys and authority and power
pertaining to the government of the Church and to the Mel-
chizedek and Aaronic Priesthood are centered in the pre-
siding officer of the Church. There is no business, nor
office, within the Church that the President of the Church
may not fill, and may not do, if it is necessary, or if it is
required of him to do it. He holds the office of patriarch;
he holds the office of high priest and of apostle, of seventy,
of elder, of bishop, and of priest, teacher and deacon in the
Church ; all these belong to the Presidency of the Church of
Jesus Christ of Latter-day Saints, and they can officiate in
any and in all of these callings when occasion requires. —
Oct. C. R., 1915, p. 7.

Relation of Members of First Presidency. I desire
to make another remark or two before we close our con-
ference. I will call your attention to the fact that the Lord
in the beginning of this work revealed that there should be
three high priests to preside over the high priesthood of
his Church and over the whole Church (Doc. and Cov.

220 GOSPEL DOCTRINE

107 :22, 64, 65, 66, 67, 91 and 92). He conferred upon them
all the authority necessary to preside over all the affairs of
the Church. They hold the keys of the house of God, and
of the ordinances of the gospel, and" of every blessing which
has been restored to the earth in this dispensation. This
authority is vested in a presidency of three high priests.
They are three presidents. The Lord himself s so calls them
(Doc. and Cov., sec. 107:29). But there is one presiding
president, and his counselors are presidents also. I propose
that my counselors and fellow presidents in the First Pres-
idency shall share with me in the responsibility of every act
which I shall perform in this capacity. I d'o not propose to
take the reins in my own hands to do as I please; but I
propose to do as my brethren and I agree upon, and as the
Spirit of the Lord manifests to us. I have always held,
and do hold, and trust I always shall hold, that it is wrong
for one man to exercise all the authority and power of pres-
idency in the Church of Jesus Christ of Latter-day Saints.
I dare not assume such a responsibility, and I will not, so
long as I can have men like these (pointing to Presidents
Winder and Lund) to stand by and counsel with me in the
labors we have to perform, and in doing all those things that
shall tend to the peace, advancement and happiness of the
people of God and the building up of Zion. If at any time
my brethren of the apostleship shall see in me a disposition
to depart from this principle, or a forgetfulness on my part
of this covenant that I make today before this body of priest-
hood, I ask them in the name of my Father, that they will
come to me, as my brethren, as counselors in the priesthood,
as watchmen on the towers of Zion, and remind me of this
covenant and promise which I make to the body of the
Church in general conference assembled at this time. The
Lord never did intend that one man should have all power,
and for that reason he has placed in his Church, presidents,
apostles, high priests, seventies, elders and the various offi-

PRIESTHOOD 221

cers of the lesser Priesthood, all of which are essential in
their order and place according to the authority bestowed on
them. The Lord never did anything that was not essential
or that was superfluous. There is a use for every branch of
the priesthood that he has established in his Church. We
want every man to learn his duty, and we expect every man
will do his duty as faithfully as he knows how, and carry
off his portion of the responsibility of building up Zion in
the latter days.

I felt like I wanted to say that much to these my breth-
ren who bear the holy priesthood — men who wield influence
for the salvation of souls, who set good examples before the
people among whom they dwell, who teach them the right
way, admonish them from sin, lead them in the path of duty,
and enable them to stand firm and steadfast in the faith of
the gospel, wherewith they have been made free from sin
and from the grasp of Satan. God bless all Israel, is my
prayer, in the name of Jesus. Amen. — Oct. C. R. (Special),
1901, p. 82.

Duties of Apostles. The duty of the twelve apostles
of the Church is to preach the gospel to the world, to send
it to the inhabitants of the earth and to bear testimony of
Jesus Christ, the Son of God, as living witnesses of his
divine mission. That is their special calling and they are
always under the direction of the presidency of the Church
of Jesus Christ of Latter-day Saints when that presidency is
intact, and there is never at the same time two equal heads
in the Church — never. The Lord never ordained any such
thing, nor designed it. There is always a head in the Chvr
and if the presidency of the Church are removed by death or
other cause, then the next head of the Church is the twelve
apostles, until a presidency is again organized of three pre-
siding high priests who have the right to hold the office of
First Presidency over the Church ; and, according to the doc-
trine laid down by President Wilford Woodruff, who saw

222 GOSPEL DOCTRINE

the necessity for it, and that of President Lorenzo Snow, if
the president should die, his counselors are then released
from that presidency, and it is the duty of the twelve apos-
tles to proceed at once, in the manner that has been pointed
out, to see that the First Presidency is reorganized, so that
there may be no deficiency in the working and order of the
priesthood in the Church. — Apr. C. R., 1913, pp. 4, 5.

Testimony of the Apostles. For instance these
twelve disciples of Christ are supposed to be eye and ear
witnesses of the divine mission of Jesus Christ. • It is not
permissible for them to say, I believe, simply ; I have ac-
cepted it simply because I believe it. Read the revelation,
the Lord informs us they must know, they must get the
knowledge for themselves, it must be with them as though
they had seen with their eyes and heard with their ears and
they know the truth. That is their mission, to testify of
Jesus Christ and him crucified and risen from the dead and
clothed now with almighty* power at the right hand of God,
the Savior of the world. That is their mission, and their
duty, and that is the doctrine and the truth that it is their
duty to preach to the world and see that it is preached to
the world. Where they can not go themselves they are to
have the help of others called to their assistance, the sev-
enties first, also the elders and the high priests. Those who
hold the Melchizedek priesthood who are not otherwise ap-
pointed are under their direction to preach the gospel to the
world and to declare the truth — that Jesus is the Christ and
that Joseph is a prophet of God, and was authorized and
qualified to lay the foundation of the kingdom of God. And
when I say kingdom of God I mean what I say. Christ is the
King — not man. No man is king of the kingdom of God;
God is the King of it, and we acknowledge him and him only
as Sovereign of his Kingdom.— Apr, C. R. f 1916, p. 6. (Doc.
and Cov. 18:26.)

The Presiding Bishopric. Before we get through
with the conference, we expect to hear some reports from

PRIESTHOOD 223

the Presiding Bishopric, who are the temporal custodians
of the means of the Church, and whose duty it is to account
for the receipt and disbursement of these funds; and you
will be surprised, perhaps, to learn how generally and uni-
versally, in the Church, the means gathered from the tithes
of the people are disposed of for the benefit of all the peo-
ple — and not for a few. — Apr. C. R., 1912, p. 6.

When to Submit Questions to the General Au-
thorities. If you have a question to ask, or some problem
that you are not sure you are able to solve, I would suggest
to you that you figure it out yourselves and reach the very
best conclusion that you can of the matter ; and" then, if you
are still not quite satisfied with it, and you cannot get suf-
ficient of the Spirit of the Lord to reveal to you the absolute
truth, as to whether you are right or wrong, just submit to
us your conclusion, and we think we can answer that a good
deal easier and quicker than we can solve your questions in
the way they are generally put to us. — Apr. C. R., 1910, p. 45.

No Need to Point Out Defects of Church Lead-
ers. I do not think it is my right or prerogative to point
out the supposed defects of the Prophet Joseph Smith, or
Brigham Young, or any other of the leaders of the Church.
Let the Lord God Almighty judge them and speak for or
against them as it may seem to him good — but not me; it
is not for me, my brethren, to do this. Our enemies may
have taken advantage of us, in times gone by, because of
unwise things that may have been said: Some of us may
now give to the world the same opportunity to speak evil
against us, because of that which we say, which should not
be spoken at all— Oct. C. R., 1909, pp. 124, 125.

Help the General Authorities. The general author-
ities of the Church will be presented possibly tomorrow,
and if not then, the next day. We desire the brethren and
sisters who come to the conference to come with their hearts
full of the spirit of wisdom and of truth, and if you discern

224 GOSPEL DOCTRINE

in us any lack of wisdom or of judgment, any failure in
the performance of our duty, we desire that those who have
superior experience and knowledge, and greater intelligence,
will do us the honor and favor of coming to us individually
and letting us know wherein we come short. We will give
a thousand errors, if we can find them, or if they exist in
us — any moment, for one truth. — Apr. C. R., 1908, p. 8.

Temporal Support of General Authorities. There
is not one of the general authorities in the Church who draws
one dollar from the tithes of the people for his own use.
Well, you may say, how do they live? I will give you the
key : The Church helped to support in its infancy the sugar
industry in this country, and it has some means invested in
that enterprise. The Church helped to establish Z. C. M. L,
and it has a little interest in that, and in some other institu-
tions which pay dividends. In other words, tithing funds
were invested in these institutions, which give employment
to many, for which the Trustee-in-Trust holds stock certifi-
cates, which are worth more today than what was given for
them ; and the dividends from these investments more than
pay for the support of the general authorities of the Church.
So we do not use one dollar of your tithing. — Apr. C. R.,
1907, pp. 7, 8.

A Blessing Upon Stake Presidencies and Other
Officers. May God bless the presidents of the stakes of
Zion and their counselors, and all the officers in the Church
of Jesus Christ of Latter-day Saints. May he help them to
be pure, holy, honest, upright men, after God's own heart,
free from the sins of the world, broad-minded, full of the
love of truth, charity, the spirit of forgiveness, mercy and
kindness, that they may be as fathers indeed in the midst
of the people, and not tyrants. You, my brethren, are not
called to be masters ; you are called to be servants. Let him
that would be great among you be the servant of all. Let
us follow in the footsteps of our Master, the Lord Jesus

PRIESTHOOD 225

Christ. He alone is the perfect example for mankind. He
is the only infallible rule and law, way and door into ever-
lasting life. Let us follow the Son of God. Make him our
exemplar, and our guide. Imitate him. Do his works.
Become like unto him, as far as it lies within our power to
become like him that was perfect and without sin. — Apr.
C. R., 1907, p. 118. (Docand Cov. 18:21-25,)

Counsel to Stake Presidents and Bishops. Above
all things let me say to the presidents of stakes and counsel-
ors and presidents of missions, and to the bishops and their
counselors — let me say to you all, live exemplary lives, so
that you can each say to the people : "Come and follow me,
follow my example, obey my precepts ; be in union with me,
and follow me # as I am appointed to lead, advise and counsel,
as I follow Christ/'— Oct. C. R., 1906, p. 8.

Duties of Stake Presidents. I want to say to these
presidents of stakes who are present : you have my confi-
dence, you have my love. I pray for you every clay of my
life, and I trust that you remember me and my brethren in
your prayers. We understand the responsibilities that rest
upon you in the discharge of your duties. You are fathers
to the people ; that great responsibility rests upon you ; your
labors are manifold and sometimes very difficult. We realize
the burdens that you have to bear, the patience that you have
to exercise and exhibit in the discharge of your duty, in
order that you may avoid giving offense, and that you may
reconcile the people, over whom you preside, to that which is
right without using drastic measures. We understand this,
and you have our sympathy, our fellowship, our love, and
what strength you may derive from our faith and prayers
that you may preside in righteousness over your different
stakes of Zion, and that your brethren associated with you
may be united with you, and that you may pull together in
that which is right and proper for the upbuilding of Zion

16

226 GOSPEL DOCTRINE

and the defense of the people of God. — Oct. C. R., 1905,
p. 8.

Duty of High Councils. The duty of the high coun-
cils of the Church, when they are called to act upon ques-
tions involving the membership or standing of members of
the Church, is to find out the truth, the facts, and then judge
according to the truth and the facts that are brought to their
understanding, always tempered with mercy, love, and kind-
ness, and with the spirit in their souls to save and not to de-
stroy; our aim shouldbe to build up, and not to tear down.
Our calling is to convey the spirit of love, truth, peace and
good will to mankind throughout the world; that war may
cease; that strife may come to an end, and that peace may
prevail.— Apr, C. R. f 1915, p. 5.

Duties of Patriarchs. We have a ntimber of patri-
archs in the Church whose duty it is to bestow blessings up-
on the head's of those who seek blessings at their hands.
They are fathers. They hold the evangelical office in the
Church. It is their business and right to bestow blessings
upon the people, to make promises unto them in the name
of the Lord, as it may be given them by the inspiration of
the Holy Spirit, to comfort them in the hours of sorrow 'and
trouble, to strengthen their' faith by the promises that shall
be made to them through the Spirit of God, and to be fath-
ers indeed of the people, leading them into all truth. — Oct,
C. R., 1904, p. 4.

Duties of High Priests. In addition to these organ-
izations we have in each stake of Zion an organization called
the high priests quorum, to which all high priests of the
Church belong, including the presidency and the high coun-
cilors of the stake, and also the bishops and their counsel-
ors, all the patriarchs, and all others who have been ordained
to the office of high priest in the Church, which office is the
office of presidency in the Melchizedek Priesthood, not that
every man who holds the office of high priest is a president.

PRIESTHOOD 227

Only he who is called, appointed and set apart to preside
among the high priests holds the presiding authority and
office.— Oct. C. R. f 1904, p. 3.

Duties of High Priests' Quorums. The high priests'
quorums should have their regular meetings. They should
meet together as often as circumstances will permit or as
necessity requires, and grow and unite together. They
should establish their schools of instruction and enlighten-
ment ; for it is the duty of the high priests' quorum to teach
the principles of government, of union, of advancement and
of growth in the kingdom of God. They are indeed the fath-
ers of the people at large. In our high priests' quorums are
numbered the presidents of stakes and their counselors, bish-
ops and counselors, patriarchs, and all that have been or-
dained to the office of high priest in the Melchizedek Priest-
hood. All such belong to the high priests' quorum. They
come under its supervision, and they should have a lively
union with it, not a dead connection. They should be united
with the quorum in such a way that they give it all the force
that they can impart for good. They should give it their
individual influence, their hearty support, their confidence,
and the benefit of their advice and counsel. They should
•not pull apart, not be disinterested in these matters. — Apr.
C. R„ 1907, p. 5.

Duty of High Priests. Every man who holds the
office of high priest in the Church or has been ordained a
high priest, whether he is called to active position in the
Church or not — inasmuch as he has been ordained a high
priest, should feel that he is obliged — that it is his bounden
duty, to set an example before the old and young worthy of
emulation, and to place himself in a position to be a teacher
of righteousness, not only by precept but more particularly
by example — giving to the younger ones the benefit of the ex-
perience of age, and thus becoming individually a power in
the midst of the community in which he dwells. Every

228 GOSPEL DOCTRINE

man who has light should let that light shine that those
who see it may glorify their Father which is in heaven, and
honor him who possesses the light and who causes it to shine
forth for the benefit of others. In a local capacity, there is
no body of priesthood in the Church who should excel, or
who are expected to excel, those who are called to bear the
office of high priest in the Church. From among those who
hold this office are chosen the presidents of stakes and their
counselors, and the high councils of the stakes of Zion, and
from this office are chosen the bishops, and the bishops'
counselors, in every ward in Zion ; and heretofore, of this
office are those who have been called to take charge of our
stake Mutual Improvement organizations. Those holding
this office are, as a rule, men of advanced years, and varied
experience, men who have filled missions abroad, who have
preached the gospel to the nations of the earth, and who
have had experience not only abroad but at home. Their
experience and wisdom is the ripened fruit of years of labor
in the Church, and they should exercise that wisdom for
the benefit of all with whom they are associated. — Apr. C. R. }
1908, pp. 5, 6.

Purpose and Duties of Seventies. The seventies
are called to be assistants to the twelve apostles; indeed
they are apostles of the Lord Jesus Christ, subject to the
direction of the twelve, and it is their duty to respond to
the call of the twelve, under the direction of the First
Presidency of the Church, to preach the gospel to every
creature, to every tongue and people under the heavens to
whom they may be sent. Hence they should understand the
gospel, and they should not be wholly dependent upon our
auxiliary organizations for instruction, neither should' they
be wholly dependent upon the missionary classes in our
Church schools for their knowledge of the gospel, and for
their qualifications to preach that gospel to the world. They
should take up the study of the gospel, the study of the

PRIESTHOOD 229

scriptures and the history of the dealings of God with the
peoples of the earth, in their own quorums, and make those
quorums, schools of learning and instruction, wherein they
may qualify themselves for every labor and duty that may be
required at their hands. — Apr. C. R., 1907, pp. 5, 6.

Duty of Seventies. The seventies have no responsi-
bility of presiding. It is not the calling or duty of their
office to preside. They are traveling elders, and they are to
preach the gospel to the world, under the direction of the
twelve apostles, who constitute the traveling high council
of the Church, and who are special witnesses of Jesus Christ
to all the world.— Off. C. R., 1901, p. 72.

Duties of Seventies. We have also in the Church
today, I am informed, 146 quorums of seventy. These
constitute a body of elders of somewhere in the neighbor-
hood of 10,000 men, whose special duty it is to respond to
the call of the apostles to preach the gospel, without purse
or scrip, to all the nations of the earth. They are minute
men. It is expected that they will be ready, whenever they
are called, to go out in the world, or to go out to the vari-
ous organizations of the Church to fulfil missions and to
perform such duties as shall be required of them, in order
that the work of the Lord and the work of the ministry may
be upheld and sustained and carried on in the Church and
throughout the world.— Oct. C. R., 1904, p. 3.

Seventies' Quorums to be Replenished from Elders'
Quorums. Gather in from the elders' quorums those who
have proved themselves worthy, and who have gained experi-
ence, and make seventies of them, so that the quorum of the
seventies may be replenished ; and the aged ones, whose phys-
ical condition will not permit them any longer to do mission-
ary duty in the world, let them be ordained high priests and
patriarchs, to bless the people and to minister at home. Gather
in the strong, the vigorous, the young, the able-bodied, who
have the spirit of the gospel in their hearts, to fill up the

230 GOSPEL DOCTRINE

ranks of the seventies, that we may have ministers to preach
the gospel to the world. They are needed. We cannot now
meet the demand.— Oct. C. R., 1905, p. 96.

Elders to Proclaim Gospel. I believe that the elders
of Israel, and the officers of the Church, should devote them-
selves to the proclamation of the gospel of life everlasting,
and that they should not dwell or seek to dwell upon trivial
and nonsensical things, or upon personal conduct or extra-
neous affairs. I think they should be dignified and sincere
in their spirit and utterances. I think they should be moved
by the spirit of truth and of the inspiration of the gospel,
and consider that it is their mission to bear record of Jesus
Christ, of Joseph Smith, and of the divinity of the great
latter-day work, the foundations of which Joseph Smith was
instrumental in the hands of God in establishing in the latter
days. I believe if our brethren will devote their thought,
their minds and efforts in this direction, that they will please
the Lord, they will satisfy the Saints, and they will fulfil the
object of their mission better than they can possibly do by
criticizing themselves or others, or dwelling on the faults
and failings of men.— Oct. C. R., 1909, p. 124.

Duties of Elders. I am not prepared to state how
many elders we have in the Church; but they are very nu-
merous. It is the duty of this body of men to be standing
ministers at home; to be ready at the call of the presiding
officers of the Church and the stakes, to labor in the ministry
at home, and to officiate in any calling that may be required
of them, whether it be to work in the temples, or to labor in
the ministry at home, or whether it be to go out into the
world, along with the seventies, to preach the gospel to the
world.— Oct. C. R., 1904, p. 4.

Authority of the Bishops and Other Presiding
Officers. A bishop is the presiding officer of his ward,
and where the bishop is in the ward, his counselors and
those who are members of his ward are subject to his pres-

PRIESTHOOD 231

idency. He cannot yield' it~up. He cannot give it to an-
other ; or, if he does, he violates one of the sacred principles
of the government of the priesthood. He may direct his
counselors, the first or the second, to do his will, to carry
out his wishes, to execute his desires, or his commands ; but
in so doing the counselor does not act as the bishop, but he
acts under the direction of the presiding authority. He does
not act independently of the bishop, but subordinate to the
bishop, and is subject entirely to the bishop's direction. This
principle prevails, or should' prevail, in the Sunday school
organization of the Church. We can commission and ap-
point; that is, those who preside can call upon their aids for
assistance, they can direct them to accomplish labors, but in
every instance when they do, it is by and with and under
the consent of the presiding authority, and by his advice,
but not independently. Our missions have not always been
organized strictly according to the pattern that the Lord
has given. In a great many instances the presiding elder
has been the sole presiding officer of the mission.

But in recent years, in many instances, it has been
deemed wise, not only to have a presiding elder in the mis-
sion, but also assistants to the president, or counselors, that
they may render him such assistance and counsel as he may
need. In all these things the presiding officer is the head,
should be regarded in his place, and his place should be held
sacred in the minds of his associates. And no man pos-
sessing a correct understanding" of the spirit of the gospel
and of the authority and law of the holy priesthood will at-
tempt for a moment to run before his file leader or to do
anything that is not strictly in harmony with his wish and
the authority that belongs to him. The moment a man
in a subordinate position begins to usurp the authority of his
file leader, that moment he is out of his place, and proves by
his conduct that he does not comprehend his duty, that he is
not acting in the line of his calling, and is a dangerous char-

232 GOSPEL DOCTRINE

acter. He will set bad examples, he will mislead, he will lead
others into error having fallen into error himself ; indeed, he
is in error the moment he acts contrary to and independent
of the direction of his presiding officer; and if he continues
in that course he will go astray entirely, and those who fol-
low him will follow him astray. We all understand that
principle, I think, and I would like to see my brethren and
sisters who are connected with the Sunday school work ob-
serve it strictly, but in the true spirit ; not with any kind of
stiff formality or set ways, but in the true spirit of presi-
dency, lovingly- subject to divine authority, the authority
that God has instituted that we may emulate, the example
of the Son himself, who came to earth, and while he pos-
sessed majestic power to heal the sick, to restore sight to
the blind, hearing to the deaf, and bring the dead to life, and
to accomplish wonderful things, walking upon the waves,
stilling the storms, casting out devils, and multiplying the
loaves and fishes, by which he fed the multitudes of people,
yet in accomplishing all this he declared, over and over again,
this great principle, that he came not to do his own will, but
the will of him that sent him, recognizing in every feature of
his message and ministry in the world that God was at the
head, and that he did nothing of > himself, but only that
which the Father sent him to do. Thus he was acting un-
der the authority of his president or file leader — of him who
sent him and commissioned him to accomplish the work he
was sent to do. Let us follow that spirit and example, and
adopt that principle in our lives, then we shall never have
presiding elders and officers in the Church at logger-heads
with each other, contending with each other, and at cross
purposes. They will always be one. They will see eye to
eye, they will understand better the principles of divine
government, the principles of the gospel and the promptings
of the Holy Spirit.— Oct. C. R., 1905 (Sunday School), pp.
109, 110.

PRIESTHOOD 233

Duties of Bishops. It is expected that the bishop of
a ward with his counselors will understand the necessities
of every member of his ward. Then they have as assistants
and helpers a large corps of elders, and priests, teachers and
deacons of the lesser Priesthood, who render assistance to
them in the temporal as well as the spiritual affairs of the
Church. It devolves upon the bishopric of the ward to look
after the poor, to minister unto the sick and the afflicted and
to see that there is no want nor suffering among the people
in these organized divisions of the Church. It is also the
duty of these presiding officers in the Church to look after
the spiritual welfare of the people, to see that they are living
moral, pure and upright lives, that they are faithful in the
discharge of their duties as Latter-day Saints, that they are
honest in their dealings with one another, and with all the
world. It is their business to see that spiritual light exists
in their hearts, and that the people under their presidency
and direction are living the lives of Saints, as far as it is
possible for men and women, in the mortal body, beset by
the weaknesses and imperfections of mankind, to be Saints.
—Oct. C. R., 1904, pp. 2, 3.

Bishops and Lesser Priesthood Should Be Active.
The bishops and the lesser priesthood should be very active
and energetic. We should look after the boys who have
been ordained deacons, teachers, and priests in the Church.
We should find something for them to do in their calling.
Let them be appointed to active labors in their several
spheres. Put forward those who have not had experience to
accompany those who have, and give them something to do.
Let the deacons not only assist to keep the meeting houses in
repair and their grounds in proper condition, but let them
be set to work to look after the welfare of the widows and
fatherless, the aged and the poor. Many of our young men
who are idle, languishing for the want of something to do,
could be made most useful in helping the poor to clean

234 GOSPEL DOCTRINE

up about their homes and make them comfortable, and help-
ing them to live in such a way that life would be pleasant
to them. There is no reason why the members of the lesser
priesthood' should not be engaged in missions and labors of
this kind.— Apr. C. R., 1908, p. 6.

Duties of the Lesser Priesthood. Then we have
the lesser priesthood, who attends to the different tem-
poral matters of the Church, consisting of priests, teachers
and deacons, who labor under the direction of the bishopric
in the various wards in which they dwell, for the work of
the ministry, for the edifying of the body of Christ, the
unifying of the people and bringing them up to the standard
of righteousness that they should reach in the flesh, ac-
cording to the light they possess and the ability and talent
which the Lord has given them. — Oct. C. R., 1904, p. 4.

Lesser Priesthood. The bishops should take especial
charge of the lesser priesthood, and train them in the duties
of their callings — the priests, teachers and deacons. Our
young men should be looked after. The boys, as soon as it
is prudent, should be called to take part in the lesser priest-
hood. If it were possible to grade them, from the deacon
to the priest, and from the priest upward, through all the
offices that will eventually devolve upon them, it would be
one of the best things that could be done. All these things
should be looked after by the presiding authorities of the
Church, especially those who preside over the quorums. I
will repeat what I said before, it is expected that every man
on whom responsibility is placed will do his duty faithfully,
and be diligent in the performance thereof. — Apr. C. R.,
1907, p. 6.

The Work of the Bishopric. The work of the bish-
opric is both temporal and spiritual. The average bishop
gives all his time and efforts for the betterment of the people
over whom he presides. The bishop should not try to do
all the work that is necessary to be done in his ward. His

PRIESTHOOD 235

counselors are there to help him, and a due portion of the
responsibility of the bishop of the ward should be placed
upon his counselors. Neither is.it wise that the bishopric
of the ward should feel they are compelled to do all that is
necessary to be done in their wards. They should exercise
their right to call upon the priesthood to visit the people
as teachers and preachers of the gospel of Jesus Christ that
they may give to all as far as possible an opportunity to exer-
cise their talents and to do good in their wards. It is some-
times advisable to give to each counselor special duties, and
assign each of the counselors his proportion of the respon-
sibilities which belong to the bishopric, each one doing some
special work for which he is adapted, so that all may be
active.— Orf. C. R., 1914, p. 6.

Dignity of Teachers' Calling. We have had called
to our attention, recently, the fact that some men who are
of long standing in the Church — indeed, some of them born
and reared in the Church, and who are occupying prominent
positions in some of the quorums of the priesthood — when
their presidents or their bishops of the wards in which they
live call upon them to visit the Saints, teach the principles of
the gospel and perform the duties of teachers, they coolly in-
form their bishops that they have graduated from that calling
and refuse to act as teachers. Brother Charles W. Penrose
is eighty-two years of age. I am going on seventy-six, and
I believe that I am older than several of these good men who
have graduated from the duties of the lesser priesthood, and
I want to tell them and you that we are not too old to act as
teachers, if you will call us to do it — not one of us. There
is never a time, there never will come a time to those who
hold the priesthood in the Church of Jesus Christ of Latter-
day Saints, when men can say of themselves that they have
done enough. So long as life lasts, and so long as we pos-
sess ability to do good, to labor for the upbuilding of Zion,
and for the benefit of the human family, we ought, with will-

236 GOSPEL DOCTRINE

ingness, to yield with alacrity to the requirements made of us
to do our duty, little or great. — Apr. C. R., 1914, p. 7.

Value of Teachers' Work. I don't know of any duty
that is more sacred, or more necessary, if it is carried out as
it should be, than the duties of the teachers who visit the
homes of the people, who pray with them, who admonish
them to virtue and honor, to unity, to love, and to faith in
and fidelity to the cause of Zion ; who strive to settle uncer-
tainties in the minds of the people and bring them to the
standard of the knowledge that they should possess in the
gospel of Jesus Christ. May all the people open their doors,
call in the members of their families, and respect the visits
of the teachers to their homes, and join with them in striv-
ing to bring about a better condition, if possible, in the
home than ordinarily exists. If you can advance, try to aid
the teachers to help you make that advancement. — Apr. C.
R. } 1915, p. 140.

The Restoration of the Melchizedek Priesthood.
"No man can be exalted unless he be independent. * * *
Mankind are naturally independent and intelligent beings,
they have been created for the express purpose of exalting
themselves." The study of the subject of the holy or Mel-
chizedek priesthood, including the Aaronic, is one of vast
importance to the human family. The student of the true
science of theology will readily comprehend the necessity
of its existence among men, for the reason that true the-
ology, or the Church of Jesus Christ, cannot exist without
it. It lies at the foundation of the Church, it is the author-
ity by which the Church is established or organized, built up
and governed, and by which the gospel is preached, and all
the ordinances thereof designed for the salvation of man-
kind are administered or solemnized. No ordinance of the
gospel can be performed acceptably to God or with efficacy
to man except by its authority and power, and certainly
there. is no ordinance or rite instituted by the Almighty in

PRIESTHOOD 237

the great plan of redemption which is not essential to the
salvation or exaltation of his children. Therefore, where the
Melchizedek or holy Priesthood does not exist, there can
be no true Church of Christ in its fulness. When this priest-
hood is not found among mankind they are destitute of the
power of God, and therefore of the true science of theology,
or the Church and religion of Jesus Christ, who is the great
High Priest and Apostle of our salvation. While the Prophet
Joseph Smith was engaged in translating the Book of Mor-
mon, in 1829, he and Oliver Cowdery became animated over
the truths and glorious promises unfolded to them in their
work, and desired to reach out after these blessings before
their work was done, but the Lord gently admonished them
not to be in a hurry; he said: "You must wait yet a little
while, for ye are not yet ordained,'' but the promise was
given that they should be ordained thereafter, and they
should go forth and deliver the word of God unto the chil-
dren of men, and he pronounced a woe upon the inhabitants
of the earth if they would not then hearken unto their
words.

The ordinary meaning of the word priesthood, as gen-
erally understood and applied in the world, signifies a class
or body of men set apart for sacred duties, or holding the
priestly office, or an order of persons composed of priests
spoken of or taken collectively. This is not, however, the
sense in which the words Melchizedek or holy Priesthood,
are used here. Reference is made in this article to the
sacred office itself, or the principle of power which consti-
tutes the office, and is the authority by which individuals or
the several orders, or quorums, as we use the term, com-
posing the priesthood of the Church, may legitimately act in
- the name of the Lord ; or the moving, directing, controlling,
governing or presiding agency, right and authority, which
is vested in the Godhead and delegated unto man for the
purposes of his instruction, initiation into the Church, spir-

238 GOSPEL DOCTRINE

itual and temporal guidance, government and exaltation.
That is the Melchizedek Priesthood, which is without father,
without mother, or descent, or beginning of days, or end of
life, which the great high priest, Melchizedek, so honored
and magnified in his time that it was called after his name,
in honor to him and to avoid the too frequent repetition of
the name of the Son of God.

This distinction between the quorums of the priesthood
and the priesthood itself should" always be kept in mind in
the use of the term Melchizedek or Holy Priesthood. The
Holy Priesthood after the order of the Son of God was the
original name given to this priesthood. Subsequently it was
called the Melchizedek Priesthood. This priesthood was
confirmed upon Adam, Abel, Seth, Enoch, Methuselah,
Noah, Melchizedek, Abraham, Moses and many others, and
doubtless upon many of the prophets prior to the birth of
Christ, upon his chosen disciples among the Jews, before his
crucifixion, and upon the Nephite disciples upon this con-
tinent, after his resurrection and ascension on high. These
he made his apostles, to bear witness of him upon both hem-
ispheres and to all the world ; and doubtless the Savior con-
ferred this priesthood upon other disciples whom he chose
from among the "other sheep" of whom he spoke to the
Nephites, which were not of the folds of the Jews or of the
Nephites, whose record's are yet to come forth to bear wit-
ness of him, in the due time of the Lord.

We learn from the revelations that God took Moses,
and the Holy Priesthood also, out of the midst of the chil-
dren of Israel. But the lesser or Aaronic Priesthood, which
was confirmed upon Aaron and his seed, continued among,
them till the coming of Christ in the meridian of time. John,
the son of Zacharias, was probably the last who held the keys
of this Priesthood' among the Jews. He was raised up and
sent as the forerunner of Christ to prepare the way for his
first coming. And he was also sent to the world in this dis-

PRIESTHOOD 239

pensation to begin the work of preparation for Christ's sec-
ond advent.

"There are in the Church two Priesthoods, namely, the
Melchizedek and Aaronic, including the Levitical Priesthood.
Why the first is called the Melchizedek Priesthood is be-
cause Melchizedek was such a great high priest. Before his
day it was called the Holy Priesthood, after the order of the
Son of God." The Melchizedek priesthood holds the keys
of all the spiritual blessings of the Church, of the mysteries
of the kingdom of heaven, of communion with the general
assembly and Church of the first born, and the presence of
God, the Father, and Jesus, the Mediator.

The Aaronic priesthood is an appendage to the first,
and holds the keys of the ministering of angels, and the
outward Ordinances and letter of the gospel, the baptism
of repentance for the remission of sins agreeable to the cov-
enants and commandments.

The Melchizedek priesthood, which Christ restored to
the earth, remained among men between three and four
hundred years afterwards. When, in consequence of trans-
gressions, apostasy from the true order of the priesthood
and Church of Christ, the innovations of priestcraft and
paganism, the 'true order of God was lost, the holy priest-
hood was taken from the earth, and the Church of Christ
ceased to be among men, so far as we have any knowledge
by revelation or from the history and records of the past.

Then were fulfilled many predictions of the prophets
and apostles, contained in the word of God. Among them
the word of God spoken by John in the 12th chapter, of Rev-
elation, and the prophecy of Amos : "Behold, the days come,
saith the Lord God, that I will send a famine in the land,
not a famine of bread, nor a thirst for water, but of hearing
the words of the Lord : and they shall wander from sea to
sea, and from the north even to the east, they shall run to and
fro to seek the word of the Lord, and shall not find it."

240 GOSPEL DOCTRINE

(Amos 8:11,12.) The proclamation of the word of the
Lord is, and always has been, dependent upon the authority
of the holy priesthood.

How could they hear without a preacher, and how shall
they preach except they be sent?

The Gentiles among whom the priesthood had been es-
tablished, and the gospel preached, fell away also after the
example of unbelief and the manner of the Jews, or children
of Israel. God who spared not the natural branches, also
cut off the engrafted ones, and "Mystery, Babylon the Great,
the mother of harlots and abominations of the earth," was
set up as foretold by the Prophet Daniel and the Apostle
John. This power made war with the Saints, and overcame
them, changed times and laws, "wore out the Saints of the
Most High," was drunken with their blood and with the
blood of the martyrs of Jesus, and destroyed the holy peo-
ple. But this mystical power, in turn, is to be overcome and,
in the due time of the Lord, utterly destroyed.

Before this great event shall occur must come to pass
the restoration of the gospel of Christ, and the establishment
of the kingdom of God again on the earth, with all the pow-
ers and blessings of the holy priesthood, concerning which
we have the most positive assurances. The declarations of
the sacred writers of the Bible and the Book of Mormon not
only affirm the restoration of all things spoken of by holy
prophets relative to this great event, but also that this king-
dom shall no more be thrown down, nor be left to another
people, nor cease until the whole earth shall be filled with
the brightness of its glory, with its truths, its power, might,
majesty and dominion, and that the kingdom and the great-
ness thereof under the whole heaven will be given unto the
Saints of the Most High God, and they shall possess it for-
ever. The declaration of this truth is even now very galling
to the unbelieving world, and to those who reject the truth,
nevertheless the Saints will inherit the blessings, and the

PRIESTHOOD 241

word of God will come to pass, however much the wicked ob-
ject to it, or whether we as the beginners in the great cause
endure faithful to the end and realize the promise or not.
This great and glorious redemption will be consummated
through the power and agencies of the Holy Spirit. God
has ever dealt, and will always deal, with the children of
men ; for this priesthood "admmistereth the gospel and
holdeth the key of the mysteries of the kingdom, even the
key of the kingdom of God; therefore, in the ordinances
thereof and the authority of the priesthood, the power of
God is not manifest to men in the flesh ; for without this no
man can see the face of God, even the Father, and live."

The lesser priesthood holdeth the key of the minister-
ing of angels and the preparatory gospel; which gospel is
the gospel of repentance and of baptism, and the remission
of sins, which continued "with the house of Aaron among
the children of Israel until John, whom God raised up, being
filled with the Holy Ghost from his mother's womb." He,
John, "was baptized while he was yet in his childhood, and
was ordained by the angel of God at the time he was eight
days old unto this power, to overthrow the kingdom of the
Jews, and to make straight the way of the Lord before the
face of his people, to prepare them for the coming of the
Lord, in whose hand is- given all power." (Doc. and Cov.
86:26-28.)

It was the same John who appeared to Joseph Smith
and Oliver Cowdery, on the fifteenth day of May, 1829, and
conferred upon them the Aaronic priesthood with all its keys
and power. The ordination was in the following words:

"Upon you my fellow servants, in the name of Messiah,
I confer the Priesthood of Aaron, which holds the keys of
the ministering of angels, and of the gospel of repentance,
and of baptism by immersion for the remission of sins ; and
this shall never be taken again from the earth, until the sons
of Levi do offer again an offering unto the Lord in righteous-

17

242 GOSPEL DOCTRINE

ness." There is nothing said here about the offices of this
priesthood. They were an after consideration. I will re-
mark here that the priesthood is greater than the offices
which grew out of it, and are mere appendages to it, "all
other authorities or offices in the Church are appendages to
this priesthood" — meaning the Melchizedek Priesthood.
But there are two divisions or grand heads (not three nor
many) ; one is the Melchizedek priesthood, and the other is
the Aaronic, or Levitical priesthood. The offices in the
priesthood are necessary appendages thereof — for the pur-
poses of order and government, and the duties of these sev-
eral offices are defined in the revelations and laws and com-
mandments of God.

This most sacred and important event, above quoted,
occurred at or near a place called Harmony, in Susquehanna
county, Pennylvania, while Joseph Smith was living there,
engaged in the translation of the Book of Mormon, and
Oliver Cowdery was writing for him. We have not, unfor-
tunately, any account so definite, of the reception by Joseph
and Oliver, of the Melchizedek priesthood as we have the
confirmation of the Aaronic priesthood. But we have pos-
itive information and knowledge that they did receive this
priesthood at the hands of Peter, James and John, to whom
the keys and power thereof were committed by the Lord
Jesus Christ, and who were commissioned to restore it to
the earth in the dispensation of the fulness of times. We
cannot fix the exact date when this priesthood was restored,
but it occurred some time .between the 15th of May, 1829,
and the 6th of April, 1830. We can approximate to with-
in a few months of the exact time, but no further, from any
of the records of the Church. Joseph, the Prophet, des-
ignates the place where their ordination took place, in his ad-
dress to the Saints (sec. 128:20) written in 1842, as follows :

"Again what do we hear? * * * the voice of
Peter, James, and John, in the wilderness between Har-

PRIESTHOOD 243

mony, Susquehanna county, and Colesville, Broome county,
on the Susquehanna river, declaring themselves as posses-
ing the keys of the kingdom of the dispensation of the ful-
ness of times." And in a revelation given September, 1830,
referring to Joseph and Oliver, the Lord said in reference
to partaking again of the Sacrament on the earth, that "the
hour cometh that I will drink of the fruit of the vine with
you on the earth, and with Moroni, * * * and also
with Elias, * * * and also John the son of Zach-
arias, * * * which John I have sent unto you, my ser-
vants, Joseph Smith, Jun., and Oliver Cowdery, to ordain you
unto this first priesthood which you have received, that you
might be called and ordained even as Aaron: and also
Elijah, * * * and also with Joseph and Jacob, and
Isaac, and Abraham, your fathers, by whom the promises re-
main ; and also with Michael, or Adam, the father of all, the
prince of all, the ancient of days. And also with Peter, and
James, and John, whom I have sent unto you, by whom I
have ordained you and confirmed you to be apostles, and
especial witnesses of my name, and bear the keys of your
ministry, and of the same things which I revealed unto
them: unto whom I have committed the keys of my king-
dom, and a dispensation of the gospel for the last times ; and
for the fulness of times, in the which I will gather together in
one all things, both which are in heaven, and which are on
earth." (Doc. and Cov. 27:5-13.)

A revelation given April, 1830, sec. 20 :2, 3, says :
"Which commandments were given to Joseph Smith, Jun.,
who was called of God, and ordained an apostle of Jesus
Christ, to be the first elder of this Church; and to Oliver
Cowdery, who was also called of God, an apostle of Jesus
Christ, to be the second elder of this Church, and ordained
under his hand." After the Melchizedek priesthood was
conferred upon Joseph and Oliver, by the ancient apostles,
they were commanded to ordain each the other, as we see by

244 GOSPEL DOCTRINE

the above quotation, and the 10th and 11th verses of section
21, Doctrine and Covenants.

It would appear from the instructions given in the rev-
elation, dated June, 1829, that the apostleship had been
then conferred on Joseph Smith, Oliver Cowdery, and David
Whitmer. If this supposition is correct, it reduces the pe-
riod of uncertainty when this glorious event actually took
place to a few weeks, or from the middle of May to the
end of June. It is also asserted that David Whitmer sup-
posed the event to have taken place about this time. It is
evident, however, that David received the apostleship under
the hands of Joseph and Oliver, and was not present when
they received it under the ministration of the ancient apos-
tles.

In the first edition of the Compendium under the head-
ing of "Chronology of the most important events which
have transpired' in the Church of Jesus Christ of Latter-day
Saints, from A. D. 1820, 'to 1856/' we find the following
brief statement: "June 6/1831, the Melchizedek priest-
hood was first given. " This detached sentence conveys the
idea that the Melchizedek priesthood was not given until
fourteen months after the Church was established. Many
have been misled and others greatly puzzled over this state-
ment, knowing that "elders were ordained" on the 6th day
of April, 1830, a year and two months before, and that "the
office of an elder comes under the priesthood of Melchiz-
edek."

It is a pity that greater attention is not paid to matters
of history, for then such mistakes would not occur. Several
errors of this character have crept into history through neg-
lect or want of proper attention to the subjects. The pas-
sage of history from which this brief and misleading extract
was taken reads as follows: "On the sixth of June (1831)
the elders from the various parts of the country where they
were laboring, came in ; and the conference before appointed,

PRIESTHOOD 245

convened in Kirtland; and the Lord displayed his power in
a manner that could not be mistaken. The man of sin was
revealed, and the authority of the Melchizedek priesthood
was manifested, and conferred for the first time upon several
of the elders." Now, if this does not mean that on this oc-
casion several elders received their first ordination, then it
must mean that these several elders who had previously
been ordained, then, for the first time, received the power
or authority of their ordinations. The words "conferred for
the first time upon several of the elders," would seem at first
glance to mean that several were then ordained' elders, but
taking the complete sentence together, namely, "The man of
sin was revealed, and the authority of the Melchizedek
priesthood was manifested, and conferred for the first time
upon several of the elders," we naturally conclude that sev-
eral who had previously been ordained elders, had not yet re-
ceived the spirit, or power, or authority of their ordinations,
but that now for the first time, the authority of the priest-
hood having been manifested, it fell upon them. It is evi-
dent from the context that the word authority as used in
this quotation means power. It reads as follows : "It was
clearly evident that the Lord gave us power in proportion
to the work to be done, and strength according to the race
before us, and' grace and help as our needs required." That
several persons were ordained on that occasion is directly
stated, as follows : "Great harmony prevailed ; several were
ordained ; faith was strengthened ; and humility, so neces-
sary for the blessing of God to follow prayer, characterized
the Saints." One thing is perfectly clear, and that is, no
reference whatever is here made to the restoration of the
Melchizedek priesthood by Peter, James and John, which
great event occurred, without doubt, between May and" July,
1829. However, until about the time this conference was
held, the term Melchizedek priesthood was seldom or never

246 GOSPEL DOCTRINE

used. The High priesthood, or the Holy priesthood, were
the terms generally applied until then.

Thus this glorious priesthood, which "is after the holi-
est order of God," has been restored to man in its plenitude
and power in the present age for the "last times," and no
part of it will be "taken from the earth again until the sons
of Levi do offer again an offering unto the Lord in right-
eousness," or "until God shall gather together in one all
things, both which are in heaven and which are on earth." In
conclusion I will call the attention of the readers of this to
sections 5, 13, 27, 84, 107, 110 and 128 of the Doctrine and
Covenants for further reflection on the subject. — Contrib-
utor, Vol. 10, 1899, pp. 307-311.

Tribute to Heber C. Kimball. My first remem-
brance of President Heber C. Kimball goes back to the days
of my childhood. He was a familiar and prominent fig-
ure in my mind in Nauvoo, Illinois, as the father of his sons,
William, Heber, and David, with whom, as a little boy, I
was more intimate, although the two former were several
years my seniors. I also recall him in those early days as
the possessor of one of the best homes in the City of Nauvoo,
and as the husband of "Aunt" Vilate Kimball, one of the
dearest, kindest, most motherly souls who ever came within
the range of my memory or acquaintance; and also as the
father of Helen M. Kimball, a beautiful young woman, very
much resembling her mother in appearance, and who was
somewhat noted in the Smith family as being in some way
related to it, and who, after the death of the Prophet
Joseph Smith, was married to Horace K. Whitney, and
became the mother of our present poet and historian, Orson
F. Whitney.

One of my most distinct recollections of President Kim-
ball was in the winter of 1845-6, in the Nauvoo temple. My
mother, and her sister, Mercy R. Thompson, were much en-
gaged in the work going on in the temple that winter, and

PRIESTHOOD 247

President Kimball was also associated with the work being
done there. It was there that my father's children were
sealed to their parents, and President Kimball officiated.

In February, 1846, President Kimball took up the line
of march, with the Twelve and the Saints who were driven
out of Nauvoo, for their long journey into the wilderness,
which eventually led to the occupancy of the valley of the
Great Salt Lake, the settlement of Utah, by the Saints, and
the fulfilment of the prophecy by Joseph Smith, that the
Saints should gather to the Rocky Mountains.

The incident which more particularly specialized this
departure of President Kimball to my mind, was the fact
that my brother John, now the patriarch, and then a boy
of about twelve years, accompanied President Kimball and
family on their pilgrimage into the unknown wilderness,
leaving us in Nauvoo in great fear and doubt as to whether
we should ever see them again or not. This made an indel-
ible impression upon my mind, and ever since there seemed
to be an inseverable tie connecting us with President Kim-
ball and his family.

In 1848 we crossed the plains in a subdivision of Pres-
ident Kimball's company. He baptized me in City Creek,
in 1850, where the junction of East and North Temple streets
now is.

In July, 1852, while attending a meeting which was
held in Salt Lake City, my mother was taken sick, and
went to the home of President Kimball, where she remained
during her last illness ; under the care of Aunt Vilate. This
brought me almost constantly for months directly in contact
with President Kimball and family.

It was here I became more familiar with his home life
and habits. I was greatly impressed, and moved by his man-
ner of praying in his family. I have never heard any other
man pray as he did. He did not speak to the Lord as one
afar off, but as if conversing with him face to face. Time

248 GOSPEL DOCTRINE

and again I have been so impressed with the idea of the
actual presence of God, while he was conversing with him
in prayer, that I could not refrain from looking up to see
if he were actually present and visible. While President
Kimball was very strict in his family, he was ever kind and
tender towards them.

I sometimes thought he was even kinder to me than to
his own boys. I have heard him reprove them, but no word
of reproof ever fell from his lips upon me. Later, through
him, I was sent on my first mission. No better or kinder
thing was ever done for me. It gave me four years of ex-
perience and seasoning which fixed my whole course of life,
and it came just at the right time to the boy that I was.

Later I was associated with him in the Endowment
House, where I served with him and under N his direction for
years. This brought me into the most intimate relation with
him, and gave to each of us the most complete and perfect
opportunity of becoming thoroughly acquainted with the
other. I learned to love him with the truest love, and the
many evidences of his love and confidences in me are beyond
all question.

My latest recollections of him are associated with a
most unusual call made upon a number of brethren in 1861,
by President Brigham Young, to accompany him on a mis-'
sion to Provo. Among these were Heber C. Kimball, Wil-
ford Woodruff, Abraham O. Smoot, Elijah F. Sheets,
George G. Bywater and myself. These brethren all located
in Provo with President Young, and those of the number
possessed of means (President Young and Kimball, and
Elders Smoot and Sheets) proceeded at once to build them-
selves homes there.

It was while President Kimball was engaged in build-
ing and preparing a place for a portion of his family in
Provo, that he met with an accident from which he did not
recover, and soon after, Monday, June 22, 1868, came his

PRIESTHOOD 249

final summons to meet the actual presence of the gracious
Father, with whom he had, in prayer, so long and truly
counseled, as if face to face with him, and whom he had
devotedly served to the last moment.

President Heber C. Kimball was one of God's noble-
men. True as steel to every trust. Pure as refined gold.
Fearless of foes or of death. Keen of perception, full of
the spirit of the prophets. Inspired of God. Valiant in the
testimony of Christ; a lifelong, undeviating friend and wit-
ness of the divine calling and mission of Joseph Smith. He
was called by the grace of God, ordained by living author-
ity, and lived and died an apostle of the Lord Jesus Christ.
—Young Woman's Journal, Vol. 20, 1909, pp. 251-252.

Tribute to Erastus Snow. My earliest vivid recol-
lection of Elder Erastus Snow was in the fall of 1848, just
after my arrival in Salt Lake valley. I had the privilege
of listening to a most excellent discourse by him in the
bowery, at the north side of the ojd Pioneer fort. This dis-
course so impressed itself and the speaker, upon my mind,
that it and he ever after held a most distinguished place
in my memory. As an orator and profound reasoner, I al-
ways felt impressed that he had no superior, especially
when he warmed up to his subject, and entered into his
discourse with the full force and energy of his active and
vigorous mind.

As a counselor, his wisdom" was manifest from every
point of view.

As a colonizer and builder, from the pioneer days to
the completion of his work, he was equal to the foremost of
his associates. In point of endurance and perseverance in
whatever he engaged, he was untiring and almost inex-
haustible.

As a legislator or statesman, he was the peer of any of
his associates, among whom were builders of this common-
wealth. One of the marked peculiarities of his character

250 GOSPEL DOCTRINE

was continuity and perseverance in whatever he undertook
to do, until his object was attained and his purpose accom-
plished. Nothing could turn him aside from the discharge
of his duty. He was, without doubt, a chosen and an
effective instrument in the h^nd of God for the accomplish-
ment of the mission assigned him, in which he always con-
centrated his mind, and threw che whole force of his vig-
orous and noble spirit.

As the head of a numerous family, he was an example
to all mankind. His friendship was always true and bound-
less. I esteem him as one of the great men, not only of the
Church of Jesus Christ of Latter-day Saints - , but of the
world. — Improvement Era, Vol. 14, Feb., 1911, p. 280.

Purpose of Visits of Church Leaders. We have
come to see the condition and the spirit of the Latter-day
Saints, and" to present ourselves before them ; that they may
judge us by what we say and by the spirit we bring, as to
whether we are in fellowship with them and with the Lord ;
and that they may see whether we measure up to the stand-
ards that they expect in those who stand at the head of the
Church. — Improvement Era, Vol. 21, December, 1917, p. 98.

CHAPTER X
Spiritual Gifts

The Gift of Tongues. The devil himself can appear
like an angel of light. False prophets and false teachers
have arisen in the world. There is perhaps no gift of the
Spirit of God more* easily imitated by the devil than the gift
of tongues. Where two men or women exercise the gift of
tongues by the inspiration of the Spirit of God, there are
a dozen perhaps who do it by the inspiration of the devil.
Bless your souls, apostates speak in tongues, apostates
prophesy, apostates claim to have marvelous manifestations.
And what is that to us? The trouble is, we know so little
of the truth ourselves, and we live by it so poorly, that almost
any little jackanapes in the country may rise up and claim
he has had a vision or some marvelous dream, and however
absurd or untrue it may be, he may find believers and fol-
lowers among those who profess to be Latter-day Saints.

I believe in the gifts of the Holy Spirit unto men, but
I do not want the gift of tongues, except when I need it. I
needed the gift of tongues once, and the Lord gave it to me.
I was in a foreign land, sent to preach the gospel to a peo-
ple whose language I could not understand. Then I sought
earnestly for the gift of tongues, and by this gift and by
study, in a hundred days after landing upon those islands,
I could talk to the people in their language as I now talk
to you in my native tongue. This was a gift that was
worthy of the gospel. There was a purpose in it. There
was something in it to strengthen my faith, to encourage
me and to help me in my ministry. If you have need of this
gift of tongues, seek for it and God will help you in it. But
I do not ask you to be very hungry for the gift of tongues,

252 GOSPEL DOCTRINE

for if you are not careful the devil will deceive you in it.
He can talk by the gift of tongues as well as the Lord can.
Paul did not seem to care much about the gift of tongues
either. He said to the Corinthians :

"I had rather speak five words with my understanding,
that by my voice I might teach others also, than ten thou-
sand words in an unknown tongue." — 1 Cor. 14:19.

So far as I am concerned, if the Lord" will give me
ability to teach the people in my native Jtongue, or in their
own language to the understanding of those who hear me,
that will be sufficient gift of tongues to me. Yet if the Lord
gives you the gift of tongues, do not despise it, do not reject
it. For if it comes from the Spirit of God, it will come to
those who are worthy to receive it, and it is all right. But
this idea of seeking it, desiring it, when you don't pay your
tithing, when you don't pray in your families, when you don't
pay your debts, when you desecrate the Sabbath day, and
when you neglect other duties in the Church ; I tell you the
devil will take advantage of you bye and bye, if he does not
at first.— Apr. C. R., 1900, p. 41.

The Sacrament of the Lord's Supper. The Sacra-
ment of the Lord's Supper is a very important and sacred
ordinance ; however simple it may appear to our minds, it is
one which will add to our acceptance before God, or to our
condemnation.

It was instituted by the Savior in the place of the law of
sacrifice which was given to Adam, and which continued
with his children down to the days of Christ, but which was
fulfilled in his death, he being the great sacrifice for sin, of
which the sacrifices enjoined in the law given to Adam were
a similitude.

The Lord designed in the beginning to place before man
the knowledge of good and evil, and gave him a command-
ment to cleave to good and abstain from evil. But if he

SPIRITUAL GIFTS 253

should fail, he would give to him the law of sacrifice and
provide a Savior for him, that he might be brought back
again into the presence and favor of God and partake of
eternal life with him. This was the plan of redemption
chosen and instituted by the Almighty before man was
placed on the earth. And when man did fall by trans-
gressing the law which was given him, the Lord gave to
him the law of sacrifice, and made it clear to his understand-
ing, that it was for the purpose of reminding him of that
great event that should transpire in the meridian of time,
whereby he and all his posterity might be brought forth by
the power of redemption and resurrection from the dead, and
partake of eternal life with God in his kingdom. For this
reason Adam and his posterity, from generation to genera-
tion, observed this law, and continually looked forward to a
time when there should be provided for them a means of
redemption from the fall and restoration from death to life,
for death was the penalty of the law transgressed, which
man was powerless to avert, the fiat of God being,
"In the day that thou eatest thereof, thou shalt surely
die/' and this penalty was to follow upon all flesh, all
being as helpless and dependent as he was in this mat-
ter. Their only hope of redemption from the grave and
the power of death was in the Savior whom God had
promised, who should suffer death, but being without sin,
having himself never transgressed any law, being without
blemish, pure and holy, he should have power to break the
bands of death and from the grave rise to immortal life,
thereby opening the way for all who should follow him in
the regeneration to come forth to life again, redeemed from
the penalty of the law, and from the sin of transgression to
eternal life. In anticipation, therefore, of this great sacri-
fice which was to be offered for Adam and his seed, they
offered sacrifices more or less acceptable, and in conform-
ity to the pattern given, in proportion to the knowledge oi

254 GOSPEL DOCTRINE

God and of the gospel which they had, and their faithfulness
from generation to generation, to the days of Jesus.

They would take the firstlings of their flocks, the best
fruits of their fields, and those things which were emblematic
of purity, innocence, and perfection symbolical of him who
was without sin, and as "a lamb slain from the foundation of
the world," and offer sacrifices unto God in memory of him,
and the matchless and wonderful deliverance to be wrought
out for them by him.

Undoubtedly the knowledge of this law and of other
rites and ceremonies was carried by the posterity of Adam
into all lands, and continued with them, more or less pure, to
the flood, and through Noah, who was a "preacher of right-
eousness," to those who succeeded him, spreading out in all
nations and countries, Adam and Noah being the first of
their dispensations to receive them from God. What won-
der then that we should find relics of Christianity so to speak,
among the heathens, and nations who know not Christ, and
whose histories date back beyond the days of Moses, and
even beyond the flood, independent of and apart from the
records of the Bible. The ground taken by infidels, that
"Christianity" sprang from the heathen, it being found that
they have many rites similar to those recorded in the Bible,
etc., is only a vain and foolish attempt to blind the eyes of
men and dissuade them from their faith in the Redeemer of
the world, and from their belief in the Scriptures of divine
truth, for if the heathen have doctrines and ceremonies re-
sembling to some extent those which are recorded in the
Scriptures, it only proves, what is plain to the Saints, that
these are the traditions of the fathers handed down from
generation to generation, from Adam, through Noah, and
that they will cleave to the children to the latest generation,
though they may wander into darkness and perversion, until
but a slight resemblance to their origin, which was divine,
can be seen. * * *

SPIRITUAL GIFTS 255

The ordinances of the gospel have been restored in their
purity. We know why the law of sacrifice was given to
Adam, and how it is that relics of the gospel are found
among the heathen.

When Jesus came and suffered, "the just for the un-
just/' he that was without sin for him that had sinned, and
was subject to the penalty of the law which the sinner had
transgressed, the law of sacrifice was fulfilled, and instead
thereof he gave another law, which we call the "Sacrament
of the Lord's Supper," by which his life and mission, His
death and resurrection, the great sacrifice he had offered for
the redemption of man, should be kept in everlasting re-
membrance, for, said he, "this do in remembrance of me, for
as often as ye eat this bread, and drink of this cup, ye do show
the Lord's death till he come/' Therefore this law is to us
what the law of sacrifice was to those who lived prior to
the first coming of the Son of Man, until he shall come
again. Therefore, we must honor and keep it sacredly,
for there is a penalty attached to its violation, as we shall
see by reading the words of Paul (1 Cor. 11 :27-30) :

"Wherefore whosoever shall eat this bread, and drink
this cup of the Lord, unworthily, shall be guilty of the body
and blood of the Lord.

"But let a man examine himself, and so let him eat of
that bread, and drink of that cup.

"For he that eateth and drinketh unworthily, eateth
and drinketh damnation to himself, not discerning the Lord's
body.

"For this cause many are weak and sickly among you,
and many sleep."

And it is even more plainly given in the Book of Mor-
mon, which I will read (III Nephi 18:26-29) :

"And now it came to pass that when Jesus had spoken
these words, he turned his eyes again upon the disciples
whom he had chosen, and said unto them, behold verily,

256 GOSPEL DOCTRINE

verily I say unto you, I give unto you another command-
ment, and then I must go unto my Father, that I may fulfil
other commandments which he hath given me. And now
behold, this is the commandment which I give unto you, that
ye shall not suffer any one knowingly, to partake of my flesh
and blood unworthily, when ye shall minister it; for whoso
eateth and drinketh my flesh and blood unworthily, eateth
and drinketh damnation to his soul; therefore if ye know
that a man is unworthy to eat and drink of my flesh and
blood, ye shall forbid him."

These are some of the injunctions and commandments
that are given in relation to the partaking of the Lord's Sup-
per. Now let us be careful what we do, that we may not
incur the penalty affixed to the transgression of this law, re-
membering that the ordinances which God has given are
sacred and binding, that his laws are in force, especially up-
on all that have covenanted with him in baptism, and upon
all unto whom they come, whether they embrace them or
not, as Jesus said, "This is the condemnation of the world,
that light has come into the world, but ye love darkness
rather than light." Therefore all men will be held account-
able for the use they make of the light which they possess.
For this reason we are commanded to preach the gospel un-
to every creature, that those who obey and are" baptized
may be saved, and those who reject it may be condemned.

I bear my testimony to these things. I know that Joseph
Smith was and is a Prophet of the living God, and President
Young is also a prophet of God, and that by inspiration and
revelation, and not of man. God bless you, and help us to
be faithful, is my prayer in the name of Jesus. Amen. —
Discourse delivered in the Thirteenth Ward Assembly
Rooms, Salt Lake City, February 9, 1873. Journal of Dis-
courses, Vol. 15, pp. 324-328.

Order of Administering to the Sick. In the matter
of administering to the sick, according to the order and prac-

SPIRITUAL GIFTS 257

tice established in the Church, care should be taken to avoid
unwarranted repetitions. When an administration is made,
and when the blessing pronounced upon the afflicted one has
been received, the ordinance should not be repeated, rather
let the time be given to prayer and thanksgiving for the man-
ifestation of divine power already granted and realized. No
limit should be or can be set to the offering of prayer and
the rendering of praise to the Giver of Good, for we are
specially told to pray without ceasing, and no special author-
ity of the priesthood or standing in the Church is essential
to the offering of prayer; but the actual administration by
anointing with oil and by the imposition of hand's by those
who hold the proper office in the priesthood is an authori-
tative ordinance, too sacred in its nature to be performed
lightly, or to be repeated loosely when the blessing has been
gained. — Juvenile Instructor, Vol. 38, January, 1902, p. 18.

The Use of a Testimony. The sanctity of a true tes-
timony should inspire a thoughtful care as to its use. That
testimony is not to be forced upon everybody, nor is it to be
proclaimed at large from the housetop. It is not to be
voiced merely to "fill up the time" in a public meeting; far
less to excuse or disguise the speaker's poverty of thought
or ignorance of the truth he is called to expound.

The individual testimony is- a personal possession. One
cannot give his testimony to another, yet he is able to aid
his earnest brother in gaining a true testimony for himself.
The over-zealous missionary may be influenced by the mis-
leading thought that the bearing of his testimony to those
who have not before heard the gospel message, is to con-
vince or condemn, as the hearers accept or reject. The elder
is sent into the field to preach the gospel — the good news of
its restoration to earth, showing by scriptural evidence the
harmony of the new message with the predictions of earlier
times ; expounding the truths embodied in the first principles
of the gospel; then if he bears his testimony under divine

18

258 GOSPEL DOCTRINE

inspiration, such a testimony is as a seal attesting the genu-
ineness of the truths he has declared, and so appealing to
the receptive soul whose ears have been saluted by the
heaven-sent message.

But the voicing of one's testimony, however eloquently
phrased or beautifully expressed, is no fit or acceptable sub-
stitute for the needed discourse of instruction and counsel
expected in a general gathering of the' people. The man
who professes a testimony as herein described, and who as-
sumes that his testimony embraces all the knowledge he
needs, and who therefore lives in indolence and ignorance,
shall surely discover his error to his own cost and loss. A
gift from God, if neglected, or unworthily used, is in time
withdrawn ; the testimony of the truth will not remain with
one who, having received, uses not the sacred gift in the
cause of individual and general advancement.

Search out the truth of the written word; listen for
and receive the truth declared by living prophets and teach-
ers; enrich your minds with the best of knowledge and
facts. Of those who speak in his name, the Lord requires
humility, not ignorance. Intelligence is the glory of God;
and no man can be saved in ignorance.

Study and strive to acquire the knowledge that leads
toward, and the wisdom that shall reach, the goal of life
eternal. Your testimony as to the truth of the restored
gospel may operate toward salvation or condemnation as it
is used or misused. — Juvenile Instructor, Vol. 41, August,
1906, p. 465.

Purpose and Practice of Testimony Bearing. The
practice of bearing testimonies once a month in the Sabbath
schools has become so general, and is of such far-reaching
importance to the faith and happiness of our young people,
that a word of caution and of encouragement may be help-
ful at this time. It is not the chief purpose of testimony
bearing to accumulate physical evidences of the truth of the

SPIRITUAL GIFTS 259

gospel. It is not so much argument and physical demonstra-
tion that are wanted as it is the cultivation of the Spirit of
God within the hearts of the children.

Many of the children live in homes where there is com-
paratively little or no sickness, and perhaps have no oppor-
tunity whatever to witness manifestations of divine power
in the healing of the sick. At testimony meetings, these
children would perhaps have little to say if the idea pre-
vailed that the testimonies of the children were to consist
chiefly, if not wholly, in recounting instances of healing
through the administrations of the elders.

The healing of the sick is but one of those spiritual
blessings that follow those who have faith, and the bless-
ing belongs peculiarly to the Church, but is not confined ex-
clusively to those who are members of the Church. In
Christ's day, many were healed who were strangers to his
great mission, simply through their faith in him, or that the
glory of God might be made manifest.

Now, the healing of the sick is simply one of the evi-
dences ; but if it were the only evidence of the divinity of
this work it would be insufficient, because in the organization
of the Church, the existence of apostles, the gathering, the
payment of tithes and offerings, the laying on of hands, bap-
tism, and other laws and ordinances of the gospel are equally
evidence of its divine origin, and the importance of one
ought not to be emphasized at the neglect of any other.
The fact that all these ordinances and principles are taught
and practiced by the Saints constitutes a convincing argu-
ment that the Church is now the same as it was in the days
of the Master.

Testimony-bearing should have a strong educational in-
fluence upon the feelings and lives of the children, and it
is intended to cultivate within them feelings of thankfulness
and appreciation for the blessings they enjoy. The Spirit
of God may work within the life of a child and make the

260 GOSPEL DOCTRINE

child realize and know that this is the work of God. The
child knows it rather because of the Spirit than because of
some physical manifestation which he may have witnessed.
Our testimony meetings, then, should have as one of their
aims the cultivation of the children's feelings of gratitude
not only toward God, but toward their parents, teachers and
neighbors. It is advisable, therefore, to cultivate as far as
possible their appreciation for the blessings that they enjoy.

Testimony bearing is chiefly for the benefit of those
who bear the testimony in that their gratitude and appre-
ciation are deepened. Testimony bearing is not the accu-
mulation of arguments or evidences solely for the satisfac-
tion and testimony of others. Let the testimonies, then, of
the young people include the training of their feelings by
way of making them more appreciative and more thankful
for the blessings they enjoy, and the children should be made
to understand what these blessings are and how they come
to them. It is an excellent way to make people helpful and
thankful to others, by first making them thankful to God. — ■
Juvenile Instructor, Vol. 38, April, 1903, p. 246.

The Temporal and the Spiritual Not Separate.
You must continue to bear in mind that the temporal and the
spiritual are blended. They are not separate. One cannot
be carried on without the other, so long as we are here in
mortality. The Church of Jesus Christ of Latter-day Saints
on the earth is a physical organization as well as a spiritual
organization. We need practical faith — that is, we need to
practice the principles of our faith. Without the practice of
the principles of the gospel, we can never realize our hopes
and expectations concerning the results of this great latter-
day work.— Oct. C. R., 1900, p. 46.

Spiritual and Temporal Salvation. The Latter-day
Saints believe not only in the gospel of spiritual salvation,
but also in the gospel of temporal salvation. We have to
look after the cattle and the sheep and the horses, the gar-

SPIRITUAL GIFTS 261

dens and the farms, the irrigation canals and ditches, and
other necessary things for the maintenance of ourselves and
bur families in the earth. In this respect this Church is
different from many other denominations. We do not feel
that it is possible for men to be really good and faithful
Christian people unless they can also be good, faithful, hon-
est and industrious people. Therefore, we preach the gos-
pel of industry, the gospel of economy, the gospel of sobri-
ety. We preach that the idler shall not eat the bread of the
laborer, and that the idler is not entitled to an inheritance in
Zion. We preach that those who are industrious, those who
wrok, those who through their integrity and industry are
good citizens of the kingdom of God, are better citizens of
the country in which they live than those who are not so
diligent in this regard. — Apr. C. R., 1904, p. 74.

The Gospel Designed for Temporal Benefits, Also.
The work that we are engaged in is not designed to be lim-
ited by the spiritual necessities of the people alone. It is
the purpose of God in restoring the gospel and the holy
priesthood not only to benefit mankind spiritually, but also
to benefit them temporally. The Lord has expressed" this
many times, in the word that he gave to his servant Joseph
Smith, the prophet; he designed that his people should be-
come the richest of all people. And this not only means the
richest of all people in heavenly gifts — in spiritual blessings
and riches, but it also means that the people of God shall be
the richest of all people with regard to temporal matters.
If faithful we have a right to claim the blessings of the
Lord upon the labor of our hands, our temporal labors. The
farmer has a right to ask the Lord for blessings upon his
farm, upon the labor that he bestows upon it. He has a
right to claim the blessings of the Lord upon the animals
that are necessary to the cultivation of his farm. He has a
right to ask God to bless the grain that he sows and the
seeds of the fruit that he plants in the soil. It is his priv-

262 GOSPEL DOCTRINE

ilege, not only to ask and claim these blessings at the hand
of the Lord, but it is his right and privilege to receive bless-
ings from God upon his labor, upon his farm, and upon all
that he puts his hand unto in righteousness. It is our priv-
ilege to ask God to remove the curse from the earth, and
to make it fruitful. If we will live so that we shall be en-
titled to his favor, and so that we may justly and righteously
claim the blessings and gifts that he has promised unto his
Saints, then that which we ask will be given, and we shall
receive and enjoy them more abundantly. It is our priv-
ilege to ask God to bless the elements that surround us and
to temper them for our good, and we know he will hear and
answer the prayers of his people, according to their faith. —
Apr. C. R., 1898, pp. 9-10..

The Spirit Needs Food. Many people are inconsis-
tent in that they study concerning the needs of the body, and
observe strictly the laws of health, yet they disregard the
equally urgent needs of the spirit. For the spirit, as well
as the body, needs food. Some people are either ignorant
or thoughtless concerning the great blessings promised to
those who observe the Word of Wisdom. — Improvement
Era, Vol. 21, December, 1917, p. 103.

CHAPTER XL
Obedience

Obedience an Eternal Principle. We have entered
into the bond of that new and everlasting covenant agreeing
that we would obey the commandments of God in all things
whatsoever he shall command us. This is an everlasting
covenant even unto the end of our days. And when is the
end of our days ? We may think it has reference to the end
of our mortal life; that a time will come after we have fin-
ished this probation when we can live without obedience to
the commandments of God. This is a great error. We
shall never see the day in time nor in eternity, when it will not
be obligatory and when it will not be a pleasure as well as a
duty for us, as his children, to obey all the commandments
of the Lord throughout the endless ages of eternity. It is
upon this principle that we keep in touch with God, and re-
main in harmony with his purposes. It is only in this way
that we can consummate our mission, and obtain our crown
and the gift of eternal lives, which is the greatest gift of
God. Can you imagine any other way ?

God has established all things in their order. The
house of God is a house of order, and not a house of con-
fusion. In this house God himself is the Supreme Head, and
he must be obeyed. Christ is in the image and likeness of
his being, his Only Begotten Son, and he stands as our
Savior and our God. We must walk in his paths, and ob-
serve his precepts to do them, or we will be cut off. Next
unto God and Christ, on the earth is placed one unto whom
the keys of power and the authority of the holy priesthood
are conferred, and unto whom the right of presidency is
given. He is God's mouthpiece to His people, in all things
pertaining to the building up of Zion and to the spiritual and

264 GOSPEL DOCTRINE

temporal salvation of the people. He is as God's vicegerent ;
I do not hesitate to announce this truth ; for it is his word,
and therefore it is true. The people who have entered into
covenant to keep the commandments of the Lord must
hearken unto the voice of him who is placed to preside over
them ; and, secondarily, to those who are called to act with
him as his counselors in the holy priesthood. It takes this
council of three to constitute the presiding and governing
authority of the priesthood in the earth. God the Father,
God the Son, and God the Holy Ghost, constitute the God-
head and the matchless governing quorum over all the cre-
ations of the Father. Three men stand at the head of the
Church on the earth. Yet there are those who call them-
selves Saints who hesitate not to rise up in condemnation of,
and to express words of hatred and malice toward these
men who stand at the head of the Church of Jesus Christ of
Latter-day Saints.— Apr. C. i?., 1898, pp. 68-69.

How to Rise Above the Weakness of Mortality. I
would like all the Latter-day Saints to feel in their hearts
that the work in which they are engaged is not only the
work that God has instituted in the latter days, but that it is
a work in which each individual member of the Church
is deeply and vitally interested. Every man and every
woman should feel a deep and abiding interest in the work
of the Lord, in the growth and development of the great
latter-day cause, which cause is intended for the redemption
of all men from the powers of sin, from all its contaminating
effects, for the redemption of man from his own weakness
and ignorance, and from the grasp that Satan holds upon
the world, that men may be made free; for no man is or
can be made free without possessing a knowledge of the
truth and obeying the same. It is only the possession and
observance of the truth that can make men free, and all
those who do not possess and obey it are slaves and not
free men.

OBEDIENCE 265

It is only by obedience to the laws of God, that men
can rise above the petty weaknesses of mortality and exer-
cise that breadth of affection, that charity of love, that should
actuate the hearts and the motives of the children of men.
The gospel as it has been restored is intended to make free
indeed, free to choose the good and to forsake the evil, free
to exercise that boldness in their choice of that which is
good, by which they are convinced of right, notwithstanding
the great majority of the people of the world may point at
them the finger of scorn and ridicule. It requires no espe-
cial bravery on the part of men to swim with the currents
of the world. When a man makes up his mind to forsake
the world and its follies and sins, and identify himself with
God's people, who are everywhere spoken evil of, it takes
courage, manhood, independence of character, superior intel-
ligence, and a determination that is not common among men ;
for men shrink from that which is unpopular, from that
which will not bring them praise and adulation, from that
which will in any degree tarnish that which they call honor
or a good name. — Oct. C. R., 1903, pp. 1, 2.

Obedience to Church Ordinances Indispensable.
From remarks that sometimes fall from members of the
Church, one is led to believe that they regard the gospel of
Jesus Christ simply from the standpoint of a code of morals ;
that if one lives an honest, upright life, that is all that the
gospel requires of him; that it is not necessary to observe
the rites, ceremonies and ordinances of the Church; that the
latter constitute a sort of religious trapping that has no sub-
stantial value in the plan of life and salvation. Such a posi-
tion does not harmonize with the word of God given to this
people, nor with the teachings of Christ in his day, nor is it
in harmony with the universal instinct of man to worship
God.

Jesus himself attended to the ordinance of baptism ; he
instituted the sacrament of the Lord's supper and ordained

266 GOSPEL DOCTRINE

its observance ; and performed other rites which he thought
essential to man's salvation. In the case of Nicodemus, he
so emphasized baptism that he made the birth of water and
the Spirit essential to man's salvation.

Besides the rites and ceremonies and the moral effect
they and other means of worshiping God have upon the
moral life of man, the gospel is also a power in itself. It is
a creative power which gives man not alone dominion in the
world, but the power, if he can attain it by his faith, to
ordain and create other worlds. On one occasion Jesus com-
mended to the disciples the value of faith as a power when
he told them that if they had faith as a grain of mustard,
they could" say unto the mountain, be thou removed, and it
should be done. It is true that our faith would be greatly
weakened by acts of immorality, and it might be wholly
destroyed by such acts ; but faith and morality are not con-
vertible terms. A moral life is one of the means by which
we cultivate faith, but it is not the only means. We may
not see any moral virtue in the ordinance of baptism, in the
laying on of hands, or in any other rite or ceremony of the
Church, but our obedience to these rites and ordinances may
be quite as helpful in developing our faith as any act of
charity we may perform. Faith is always a gift of God to
man, which is obtained by obedience, as all other blessings
are.

The man or woman in this Church who desires to enrich
his or her faith to the highest possible degree will desire to
observe every rite and ordinance in the Church in conform-
ity to the law of obedience to the will of God. In these
things and through them, man gains a more perfect knowl-
edge of God's purposes in the world. An enriched faith
means an enlarged power, and though man may not have in
this life an occasion to exercise all the powers that come to
him through the enrichment of his faith, those powers may
be exercised in their fulness in eternity, if not in time. The

OBEDIENCE 267

man or woman, therefore, among the Latter-day Saints, who
does not see the necessity for the ordinances of the. House
of God, who does not respond to the requirements of the
gospel in all its rites and ordinances, can have no proper
conception of the great work which the Latter-day Saints
have been called upon to perform in this age, nor can he or
she enjoy the blessing that comes from the virtue of obedi-
ence to a law higher than that of man. — Juvenile Instructor,
Vol. 38, November 1, 1903, p. 656.

Obedience Brings Light and Freedom. The gospel
is very simple when we understand it properly. It is plain
and easily understood. It is always right, good, uplifting,
comforting and enlightening. It prompts men and women
to do that which is acceptable before God, who is just,
righteous, allwise, allgood, and allmerciful.

The gospel teaches us to forgive', to overcome selfish-
ness, covetousness ; to abjure anger, wrath, faultfinding,
complaining and the spirit of contention and strife. The
gospel warns and forewarns the children of men against
the evils which bring disunion and contention and shut out
honesty and love from among the children of men; which
mislead people to acts of injustice, selfishness, covetousness.
wickedness and sin, things which the gospel of Jesus Christ
teaches us to eschew and avoid as we would the gates of
hell. There is nothing intricate or incomprehensible in the
gospel of Jesus Christ to those who possess the Spirit of the
Lord.

There is nothing mysterious and unaccountable in the
dealings of God with his children, if we can only see and un-
derstand by the spirit of truth. Jesus has given us in this
life the example, the type of that which exists in greater
perfection, in a purer, higher and more glorious excellence
where he dwells himself. The gospel teaches us to do here
just what we would be required to do in the heavens, with
God" and the angels, if we would listen to its teachings, and

268 GOSPEL DOCTRINE

obey it, and put it into practice. There would be no cov-
etousness in the hearts of the children of men, if they pos-
sessed the Spirit of Jesus Christ, and understood the pre-
cepts of the gospel as he taught and admonished all men to
observe them.

There would be no strife, no anger, nothing of the spirit
of unforgiveness, unchastity and injustice, in the hearts of
the children of men, if we loved the truth and obeyed it as it
was taught by the Son of Man. With this spirit we could
advance to the extreme position that we would pray for
those who despitefully use us, who speak all manner of evil
against us falsely, accuse us of wrong doing, and lay plans
and plots to bring us into disrepute. There would be no
such desires in the hearts of the children of men, if they
possessed the Spirit of the Lord Jesus Christ. There would
be no contention, dishonor, nor dishonesty among neighbors
nor in the communities of the people. None would take
advantage of the unwary, the weak or unsuspecting ; no one
would seek to wrong another ; but, on the contrary, we would
feel like Jesus himself expressed it, "he that is greatest
among you, let him be the servant of all." If we would be
great among the children of men let us show that we are
willing to serve and to do good to our fellowmen, set them a
right example, shield them from wrong, show them the right
way, help them to avoid error and sin, and to walk in the
light, as God is in the light, that they may have fellowship
with him and with one another, and that the blood of Christ
may indeed cleanse them from all sin.

The spirit of the gospel should teach us that if men
sue us at the law, and take away our coat wrongfully and
wickedly, intending to injure or degrade us, that we would
rise above the spirit of contention and retribution in our own
souls, and speak as Jesus spoke: "Forgive them, for they
know not what they do."

My brethren and sisters, if we wo.uld build up ourselves,

OBEDIENCE 269

or ever become worthy to inherit the kingdom of God, we
will do so on the principle of eternal truth. The truth is
what will make us free; free from error, prejudice, selfish-
ness, ignorance, contention, the power of the adversary of
our souls, free from the power of death and hell ; free to
inherit the fulness of the everlasting gospel; free to have
joy in our hearts for all things good and for the welfare
of mankind; free to forgive those who err because of lack
of judgment and understanding. But the Spirit of truth,
mark you, will not tolerate and will not forgive determined,
premeditated and deliberate wrong in man or woman, in the
world — truth will not tolerate it. We can not forgive that
kind or class of crime and wickedness. We can not, or if
we do, we transgress the laws of God, for he has no sym-
pathy with Satan, nor with him who knoweth to do good
and' doeth evil ; who knoweth to do right but is determined to
do wrong. There is no forgiveness to such without humble
and most contrite repentance of sin. When one gets far
enough along in the crime of wickedness and disobedience
to the principles of the gospel, and in the abandonment of
love for his fellowmen and for the Church of Jesus Christ,
so that he will fight and lie about the Church and the truth,
and seek by every power within his reach to injure and
wrong them, there is no forgiveness for that man, and if
he goes just far enough, there is no repentance for him
either.

And* how do you pray? To be heard because of many
words? No; but because the Lord has said it is your duty
to inquire of him ; I will be inquired of, by my people ; I will
be asked for blessings, for my gifts, and the door will be
opened to them that knock and those who seek after the truth
shall find it.

Fathers, pray with your families ; bow down with them
morning and at night ; pray to the Lord, thank him for his
goodness, mercy and Fatherly kindness, just as our earthly

270 GOSPEL DOCTRINE

fathers and mothers have been extremely kind to us poor,
disobedient and wayward children.

Do you pray? What do you pray for? You pray that
God may recognize you, that he may hear your prayers, and
that he may bless you with his Spirit, and that he may lead
you into all truth and show you the right way; that he will
warn you against wrong and guide you into the right path ;
that you may not fall astray, that you may not veer into the
wrong way unto death, but that you may keep in the narrow
way. You pray for your wives to have health and strength,
blessed to be happy and contented, true to their children, true
to their homes, true to you. The wives pray that they may
also have power to overcome the weaknesses of fallen human
nature, and rise to teach their children the beauty and glory
of a righteous life, and that the children may be blest to
carry out in their lives the wish and desire of their parents ;
that they may perfect their lives here by living up to the wise
teachings of the gospel. So we pray fcr what we need.

While in my boyhood days, when I was like some of
these little boys, I used to wonder — how could the Lord hear
me when I was in secret, or wherever I might be? I won-
dered at it ? Do you wonder at it now, when you have learned
something of the late discoveries made by human wisdom
and human intelligence?

They have discovered that there is a principle by which
communication between distant points, thousands of miles
away, may take place, and one man may communicate with
another through the air, his words and voice being distinctly
and clearly heard. If in the midst of the Pacific ocean, a
thousand or more miles from shore, I could send a message
inland a thousand or more miles and could send it without
the medium of wire, merely by the power or force of elec-
tricity, to my home thousands of miles away, how easy, is
it not, for God to hear our prayers, who understands, and
knows all things, long before we ever, thought of such won-

OBEDIENCE 271

derful inventions, and who has power over all things !

Is it any wonder that the Lord can hear you when you
whisper, even in your secret closet! Is there any doubt in
your minds about it? If man can communicate across the
continent by means of a telephone without wires — by means
of human invention, by reason of the wisdom of man, is there
any one who doubts the ability of God to hear the earnest,
honest supplication of the soul ? Do not doubt any more that
trie Lord can hear your prayers, when with a small instru-
ment, sensitive to the electric spark, you can distinctly hear
the human voice in your home received from the ocean thou-
sands of miles away. When you can communicate to some
one in the midst of the ocean from your home, far inland
from the ocean — do not for a moment doubt that the Lord
understands all these means of communication and that he
has means of hearing and understanding your innermost se-
cret thoughts. "Prayer is the soul's sincere desire, uttered
or unexpressed." It does not take many words to ask the
Lord for what we need ; but we must ask in faith, confidence
and trust. It will not do to have doubts in our minds when
we call upon the Lord for a blessing. "If any of you lack
wisdom, let him ask of God, that giveth to all men liberally,
and upbraideth not ; and it shall be given him. But let him
ask in faith, nothing wavering. For he that wavereth is like
a wave of the sea, driven with the wind and tossed. For
let not that man think that he shall receive anything of the
Lord." (James 1:5-7.)

When a little child bows down in its perfect simplicity
and asks the Father for a blessing, the Father hears the
voice, and will answer in blessings upon his head, because
the child is innocent and asks in full trust and confidence.

These are simple principles that I have sought to im-
press upon your minds. They are simple, but necessary,
and essential. There is no mystery about them, there is no
mystery in the birth of man into the world when you under-

272 GOSPEL DOCTRINE

stand the laws of nature, which are the laws of God — no
mystery about it. There will be no more mystery in the
resurrection from the dead to life and everlasting light, than
there is in the birth of man into the world, when we under-
stand the truth, as we will some day, as the Lord of glory
instituted it. There is no mystery in the birth or begetting
of the Son of God, nor regarding his birth into the world. It
was just as natural and as strictly in accordance with the
laws of nature and of God, as the birth of any one of his
children, the birth of any one of us. It was simply in ac-
cordance with truth, and law and order. Will the men of
the world receive the gospel ? Will they hearken to the truth ?
Or will they mystify the truth and seek to becloud the chil-
dren of men over simple truths when they should under-
stand them? From the middle-aged to the gray-haired man,
as well as the youth, all should understand the principles
of the gospel, the simple truths given for the redemption and
exaltation of man. — Granite Stake Conference, Sunday, Nov.
25, 1917.

Blessings from Obedience. Every good and perfect
gift comes from the Father of Light, who is no respecter
of persons and in whom there is no variableness, nor shadow
of turning. To please him we must not only worship him
with thanksgiving and praise, but render willing obedience
to his commandments. By so doing he is bound to bestow
his blessings; for it is upon this principle (obedience to law)
that all blessings are predicated. — Improvement Era, Vol.
21, December, 1917.

CHAPTER XII

Prayer

Pray Every Day. Observe that great commandment
given of the Master, always to remember the Lord, to pray
in the morning, and in the evening, and always remember
to thank him for the blessings that they receive day by day.
—Oct. C. R. f 1914, p. 6.

Pray in Wisdom. My brethren and sisters, let us re-
member and call upon God and implore his blessings and his
favor upon us. Let us do it nevertheless in wisdom and in
righteousness, and when we pray we should call upon him
in a consistent and reasonable way. We should not ask the
Lord for that which is unnecessary or which would not be
beneficial to us. We should ask for that which we need, and
we should ask in faith, ''nothing wavering, for he that waver-
eth," as the apostle said, "is like the wave of the sea, driven
by the wind and tossed. For let not that man think that he
shall receive anything of the Lord." But when we ask of
God for blessings let us ask in the faith of the gospel, in
that faith that he has promised to give to them who believe
in him and obey his commandments. — Oct. C. R., 1914, p. 7.

Keep the Spirit of Prayer. We should carry with us
the spirit of prayer throughout every duty that we have to
perform in life. Why should we ? One of the simple reasons
that appeals to my mind with great force is that man is so
utterly dependent upon God ! How helpless we are without
him ; how little can we do without his merciful providence in
our behalf ! I have often been led to make the remark, that
not one of us, not a human being in all the world can make
even a single spear of grass grow without the help of God.
We have to use his earth, we must avail ourselves of the ben-
efit of his soil, his air and his sunshine, and the moisture
that God provides and gives to the earth, to enable us to pro-

19

274 GOSPEL DOCTRINE

duce even a single blade of grass; and the same applies to
everything that ministers to our existence in the world. You
can't raise an ear of corn or grain of wheat without God's
help. You cannot produce a single thing essential to the ex-
istence of man or beast without the help of God. Then, why
should we not feel dependent upon the Lord? Why should
we not call upon his name? Why should we not remember
him in our prayers ? Why should we not love him with all
our heart and mind, and strength, since he has given us life,
since he has formed us in his own likeness and image, since
he has placed us here that we may become like unto his Only
Begotten Son and to inherit the glory, exaltation and re-
ward provided for God's own children? — Oct. C. i?.,1914,p,6.
True Prayer. I pray you, my young brethren who are
present in this vast congregation, and who are liable to be
called to preach the gospel to the world, when you are called
to go out, I pray that you will know how to approach God
in prayer. It is not such a difficult thing to learn how to
pray. It is not the words we use particularly that constitute
prayer. Prayer does not consist of words, altogether. True,
faithful, earnest prayer consists more in the feeling that
rises from the heart and from the inward desire of our spir-
its to supplicate, the Lord in humility and in faith, that we
may receive his blessings. It matters not how simple the
words may be, if our desires are genuine and we come be-
fore the Lord with a broken heart and a contrite spirit to ask
him for that which we need. I would like to know if there is
a young man in this congregation, or anywhere else, who
does not need something of the Lord. Where is there a soul
upon the earth that does not need something that the Al-
mighty can give. In the first place, all that we have comes
from him. It is by his providence that we exist on the earth.
It is by his kind mercy that we see and hear, that we have
the power of speech, and that we possess intelligence, for
as the sage of old said, "There is a spirit in man: and

PRAYER 27 S

the inspiration of the Almighty giveth them understanding."
Therefore, the very power of understanding that we possess
is the gift of God. In and of ourselves we are but a lifeless
lump of clay. Life, intelligence,, wisdom, judgment, power
to reason, all are the gifts of God to the children of men.
He gives us our physical strength as well as our mental
powers. Every young man should feel from the depth of
his heart that he is indebted to Almighty God for his being
and for every attribute that he possesses which is in likeness
of the attributes of God. We should seek to magnify the
attributes that we possess. We should honor God with our
intelligence, with our strength, with our understanding, with
our wisdom, and with all the power that we possess. We
should seek to do good in the world. This is our duty ; and
if a young man can only feel as all men should feel, he will
find that it is an easy matter for him to bow down before
the Lord in humble prayer and seek unto God for the aid,
comfort, and inspiration of his Holy Spirit, that he may not
be left entirely to himself, nor to the wisdom and ways of
the world. But as a rule, where young men have good par-
ents to provide for them, where they have good homes and
their food and raiment are sure, they feel that they are not
dependent upon anybody, unless perchance they should be
afflicted in some way, and then begin to realize their weak-
ness and dependence. But I want to say to you, my young
friends, that in the hour of your independence, at the moment
when you feel the strongest, you should bear in mind that
you are but human, the breath of life is in your nostrils, and
you are destined to pass from this world through the portals
of death.— Oct. C. R. } 1899, pp. 69, 70.

How to Pray. My brethren and sisters, do not learn
to pray with your lips only. Do not learn a prayer by heart,
and say it every morning and evening. That is something
I dislike very much. It is true that a great many people
fall into the rut of saying over a ceremonious prayer. They

276 GOSPEL DOCTRINE

begin at a certain point, and they touch at all the points
along the road until they get to the winding up scene ; and
when they have done, I do not know whether the prayer has
ascended beyond the ceiling of the room or not. — Oct. C. R.,
1899, pp. 71, 72.

An Address on Prayer — Practical Prayer and
Healing. I thought that a few words from the Book of
Mormon might be appropriate as concluding advice and
counsel, written by the prophet Moroni :

"And now, my brethren, I judge these things of you
because of your peaceable walk with the children of men;

"For I remember the word of God, which saith by their
works ye shall know them ; for if their works be good, then
they are good also.

"For behold, God hath said, A man being evil cannot do
that which is good ; for if he ofTereth a gift, or prayeth unto
God, except he shall do it with real intent, it profiteth him
nothing.

"For behold, it is not counted unto him for righteous-
ness.

"For behold, if a man being evil, giveth a gift, he doeth
it grudgingly; wherefore it is counted unto him the same as
if he had retained the gift; wherefore he is counted evil
before God.

"And likewise also it is counted unto a man, if he shall
pray, and not with real intent of heart ; yea, and it profiteth
him nothing; for God receiveth none such." (Moroni 7:4-9.)

Here, indeed, is a text that would give an opportunity
to one moved by the proper spirit, to make a telling discourse
among the Latter-day Saints — not applicable to all, but ap-
plicable to far too many. It is not good for us to pray by
rote, to kneel down and repeat the Lord's prayer continually.
I think that one of the greatest follies I have ever witnessed
is the foolish custom of men repeating the Lord's prayer
continually without considering its meaning. The Lord gave

PRAYER 277

this as a pattern to his disciples who were going out into
the world to preach the gospel. It was to show them that
they were not to use many words, but were to come directly
to the Lord, and ask him for the things they might need,
consequently one of the specific provisions in that prayer,
and' the example set was : "Give us this day our daily bread ;"
and we see people clothed with plenty, possessed of millions,
perhaps, and yet, if they pray at all, they repeat simply the
Lord's prayer. It thus becomes only a form; there is no
power in it ; neither is it acceptable, because it is not offered
from the heart, nor with the understanding ; and I think that
it is desirable for us to look well to our words when we call
upon the Lord. He hears us in secret, and can reward us
openly. We do not have to cry unto him with many words.
We do not have to weary him wij:h long prayers.
What we do need, and what we should do as Latter-day
Saints, for our own good, is to go before him often, to wit-
ness unto him that we remember him and that we are willing
to take upon us his name, keep his commandments, work
righteousness ; and that we desire his Spirit to help us. Then,
if we are in trouble, let us go to the Loid and ask him
directly and specifically to help us out of the trouble that
we are in ; and let the prayer come from the heart, let it not
be in words that are worn into ruts in the beaten tracks of
common use, without thought or feeling in the use of those
words. Let us speak the simple words, expressing our
need, that will appeal most truly to the Giver of every good
and perfect gift. He can hear in secret; and he knows the
desires' of our hearts before we ask, but he has made it ob-
ligatory, and a duty that we shall call upon his name — that
we shall ask that we may receive ; and knock that it may be
opened to us ; and seek that we may find. Hence, the Lord
has made it a loving duty that we should remember him, that
we should witness unto him morning, noon, and night, that
we do not forget the Giver of every good gift unto us.

278 GOSPEL DOCTRINE

"Wherefore, a man being evil, cannot do that which is
good ; neither will he give a good gift.

"For behold, a bitter fountain cannot bring forth good
water ; neither can a good fountain bring forth bitter water ;
wherefore a man being a servant of the devil, cannot follow
Christ; and if he follow Christ, he cannot be a servant of
the devil.

"Wherefore, all things which are good, cometh of
God; and that which is evil, cometh of the devil; for the
devil is an enemy unto God, and fighteth against him con-
tinually, and inviteth and enticeth to sin, and to do that which
is evil continually.

"But behold, that which is of God, inviteth and enticeth
to do good continually ; wherefore, everything which inviteth
and enticeth to do. good, and to love God, and to serve him
is inspired of God.

"Wherefore take heed, my beloved brethren, that ye
do not judge that which is evil to be of God, or that which
is good and of God, to be of the devil.

"For behold, my brethren, it is given unto you to
judge, that ye may know good from evil; and the way to
judge is as plain, that ye may know with a perfect knowl-
edge, as the daylight is from the dark night.

"For behold, the Spirit of Christ is given to every man,
that they may know good from evil ; wherefore I show unto
you the way to judge; for everything which inviteth to do
good, and to persuade to believe in Christ, is sent forth by
the power and gift of Christ ; wherefore ye may know with
a perfect knowledge it is of God,

"But whatsoever thing persuadeth men to do evil and
believe not in Christ and deny him, and serve not God, then
ye may know with a perfect knowledge it is of the devil, for
after this manner doth the devil work, for he persuadeth
no man to do good, no not one; neither doth his angels;
neither do they who subject themselves unto him.

PRAYER 279

"And now, my brethren, seeing that ye know the light
by which ye may judge, which light is the light of Christ,
see that ye do not judge wrongfully; for with that same
judgment which ye judge, ye shall also be judged.

"Wherefore I beseech of you, brethren, that ye should
search diligently in the light of Christ, that ye may know
good from evil; and if ye will lay hold upon every good
thing, and condemn it not, ye certainly will be a child of
Christ." (Moroni 7:10-19.)

I think that here, in the words that I have read, are
some plain fingerboards, some plain, simple guideposts ; and
if we, as Latter-day Saints, believing as we do in the divin-
ity of this book which was translated by the gift and power
of God, through the inspiration that came to the Prophet
Joseph Smith, would read these words as believing children
should read, with understanding, in faith, being sure that
God inspired them, and then put them into practice, I think
it would not be long before we could do away with appeals
to bishops' courts, and high councils, and with the present
necessity for teachers' visits, to try to settle difficulties among
Latter-day Saints. I believe every man would be his own
judge, for he would judge righteously, because he would
judge in the light of truth, in the light and justice — not sel-
fishly, not covetously, but in the light that has come from the
heavens in the latter-day, through revelations from God. —
Improvement Era, Vol. 11, August, 1908, pp. 729-732.

Pray for the Authorities. We have met together
this afternoon in the capacity of a conference of this stake of
Zion. We have had presented before us the stake authori-
ties, together with the home missionaries, that we might sus-
tain them by our vote, which means also by our faith and
prayers, and to stand by them in the discharge of all the du-
ties that devolve upon them. It is an important duty resting
upon the Saints who vote to sustain the authorities of the
Church, to do so not only by the lifting of the hand, the mere

280 GOSPEL DOCTRINE

form, but in deed and in truth. There never should be a day
pass but all the people composing the Church should lift up
their voices in prayer to the Lord to sustain his servants who
are placed to preside over them. Not only should they do
this in behalf of the president of the stake and his counselors,
but they should do it in behalf of the high council, before
whom, in connection with the presidency of the stake, mat-
ters of vast importance to the members of the Church are
brought from time to time for their judgment and counsel.
These men should have the faith of the people to sustain
them in discharge of their duties, in order that they may be
strong in the Lord. These authorities are also presented be-
fore the people, so that if there is any fault in them, worthy
of objection to their acting in the positions to which they are
called, the Saints who know of these objections may make
them manifest, in order that such inquiry may be instituted
as may be necessary to ascertain the truth, that those who
are not worthy may be dropped, and only such as are worthy
and faithful in the performance of their duties be sustained
in these exalted positions in the Church.

We should not permit ourselves to go about from day to
day with a spirit of murmuring and fault-finding in our
hearts against those who are presented before us to be sus-
tained in responsible positions. If we have anything in our
hearts against any of these brethren, it is our duty, as con-
scientious members of the Church, first, as the Scriptures
direct, to go to them alone and make known to them our
feeling toward them and show them the cause of such feel-
ing; not with a desire in our hearts to widen or increase the
difficulty, but we should go to them in the spirit of recon-
ciliation and brotherly love, in a true Christian spirit, so
that if any feeling of bitterness exists within us it may be
absolutely removed ; and if we have cause against our broth-
er, that we may be in a position to remedy the evil. We
should seek to love one another and to sustain one another

PRAYER 281

as children of God and as brothers and sisters in the cause.

The presentation of the authorities of the Church be-
fore a conference is made obligatory upon the Church. It is
the command of the Lord that we shall meet together to
trasact the business of the Church, an important part of
which is to sustain the authorities of the Church, thus re-
newing our covenant to uphold God's authority which he
has instituted in the earth for the government of his Church.
And I cannot emphasize too strongly the importance of
Latter-day Saints honoring and sustaining in truth and in
deed the authority of the holy priesthood which is called
to preside. The moment a spirit enters the heart of a mem-
ber to refrain from sustaining the constituted authorities of
the Church, that moment he becomes possessed of a spirit
which inclines to rebellion or dissension; and if he permits
that spirit to take a firm root in his mind, it will eventually
lead him into darkness and apostasy. It makes no difference
how much we may profess to love the gospel and prize our
standing in the Church, if we allow the spirit of darkness
to take possession of our minds, the light and love within
us will go out, and bitterness and enmity will take possession
of our souls. Then, oh how dark, how bitter and wicked we
may become! — Salt Lake Stake C. R., June 12, 1898.

Blessings Follow Prayers. Family and secret prayers
should be observed, not alone to comply with the command-
ment of the Lord, but because of the wonderful blessings
to be gained. The Lord has said we should inquire of him.
— Improvement Era, Vol. 21, December, 1917, p. 104.

Correct Our Neglects. What shall we do if we have
neglected our prayers ? Let us begin to pray. If we have
neglected any other duty, let us seek unto the Lord for his
Spirit, that we may know wherein we have erred and lost
our opportunities, nor let them pass by us unimproved. —
Deseret Weekly News, Vol. 24, p. 708.

CHAPTER XIII.
Tithing; the Poor; Industry

Why the Law of Tithing was Instituted. The
Lord revealed to his people in the incipiency of his work a
law which was more perfect than the law of tithing. It
comprehended larger things, greater power, and a more
speedy accomplishment of the purposes of the Lord. But
the people were unprepared to live by it, and the Lord, out
of mercy to the people, suspended the more perfect law, and
gave the law of tithing, in order that there might be means
in the storehouse of the Lord for the carrying out of the pur-
poses he had in view; for the gathering of the poor, for
the spreading of the gospel to the nations of the earth, for
the maintenance of those who were required to give their
constant attention, day in and day out, to the work of the
Lord, and for whom it was necessary to make some pro-
vision. Without this law these things could not be done,
neither could temples be built and maintained, nor the poor
fed and clothed. Therefore the law of tithing is necessary
for the Church, so much so that the Lord has laid great
stress upon it.— Apr. C. R., 1900, p. 47.

Essential Nature of the Law of Tithing. By this
principle (tithing) the loyalty of the people of this Church
shall be put to the test. By this principle it shall be known
who is for the kingdom of God and who is against it. By
this principle it shall be seen whose hearts are set on doing
the will of God and keeping his commandments, thereby
sanctifying the land of Zion unto God, and who are opposed
to this principle and have cut themselves off from the bless-
ings of Zion. There is a great deal of importance connected
with this principle, for by it it shall be known whether we
are faithful or unfaithful. In this respect it is as essential.

TITHING; THE POOR; INDUSTRY 283

as faith in God, as repentance of sin, as baptism for the re-
mission of sin, or as the laying on of hands for the gift of
the Holy Ghost. For if a man keep all the law save in one
point, and he offend in that, he is a transgressor of the law,
and he is not entitled to the fulness of the blessings of the
gospel of Jesus Christ. But when a man keeps all the law
that is revealed, according to his strength, his substance, and
his ability, though what he does may be little, it is just as
acceptable in the sight of God as if he were able to do a
thousand times more. — Apr. C. R., 1900, pp. 47, 48.

The Law of Tithing a Test. The law of tithing is a
test by which the people as individuals shall be # proved. Any
man who fails to observe this principle shall be known as a
man who is indifferent to the welfare of Zion, who neglects
his duty as a member of the Church, and who does nothing
toward the accomplishment of the temporal advancement of
the kingdom of God. He contributes nothing, either, to-
wards spreading the gospel to the nations of the earth, and
•he neglects to do that which would entitle him to receive
the blessings and ordinances of the gospel. — Apr. C. R.,
1900, p. 47.

The Law of Tithing, the Law of Revenue. The
purpose of the law of tithing is similar to that of the law
of revenue which is enacted by every state, every country,
and every municipality in the world, I suppose. There is no
such thing as an organization of men for any purpose of
importance, without provisions for carrying out its designs.
The law of tithing is the law of revenue for the Church of
Jesus Christ of Latter-day Saints. Without it, it would be
impossible to carry on the purposes of the Lord.

Tithing. No doubt, a good deal more could be read
from the scriptures in relation to this principle of tithing,
which God has revealed to us in this dispensation, and which
he requires at our hands, that we may sanctify, by obedi-
ence to his law, this land that it may become. indeed a land

284 GOSPEL DOCTRINE

of Zion unto us ; and the promise is, that if we will obey the
laws of God, if we will put our trust in him, if we will draw
near unto him he will draw near unto us, and he will re-
ward us with his favor and his blessing. He will rebuke the
devourer, and he will cause that the earth shall be fruitful,
that it shall yield in its strength to the husbandman, the tiller
of the soil, and to the herder of flocks. He will increase his
kine, and will prosper him upon the right hand and upon the
left, and he shall have an abundance, because he puts his
trust in God; he draws near unto him, and he is willing to
prove him, to see whether he will not open the windows of
heaven and pour out blessings upon him that he shall not
have room to contain them. Let every man who has re-
ceived the gospel of Jesus Christ receive this saying, and
hearken to these words, for all they are worth. Some men
may esteem them lightly, and those who do will, without
doubt, fail to draw near, they will neglect to prove the Lord,
they will not fulfil the commandments that he has given,
and they will never know that God tells the truth, and that
he is able to fulfil his word and promise unto his people
when they are willing to obey and keep his law. While they
who appreciate these promises, who obey these laws that
were given anciently, and have been renewed again in the
dispensation of the fulness of times, for the blessing of the
people, for the building up of Zion, for the feeding of the
widow and the orphan, or the spreading of the gospel of
Christ to the nations of the earth, and for the gathering of
the people from the four quarters of the earth, those who
hearken to these words, prize them as the truth, and apply
them in their practice throughout their lives, will come to
know that God is a rewarder of those who diligently serve
him, and that he is able to fulfil his promises unto them.

A short time ago I met with a brother — I need not call
his name, for he is but one among thousands who can bear
the same testimony, not only by the word of mouth but by

TITHING; THE POOR; INDUSTRY 285

the evidences of thrift, of prosperity, of progress and of im-
provement which surround him in the midst of the deserts.
This season he has gathered in rich harvests, his farms hav-
ing produced in abundance, while the farms of many of his
neighbors are clogged with weeds, and their harvests have
been only one-half or one-third what his has been. How do
you account for it ? I account for it in the fact that God has
blessed him, and so does he, for he is an intelligent man, a
man that not only labors wisely and prudently, but in the fear
of God, and in the desire of his heart to obey his laws. He
said to me and my companion with whom we were traveling :
"God has blessed me because I have striven to keep his laws,
and because I have been true to my family." He went out
there upon the desert seven or eight years ago, impoverished
by persecution and exile, being driven from his home and
from his affairs, compelled to .wander in exile for years, part
of the time preaching the gospel. He returned seven or
eight years ago, and settled down upon the desert. Today,
out of the earth, the burning sands, he has produced beauti-
ful homes, he has fruitful fields, which are spread out be-
fore the eyes of any man who wishes to go and look upon
them. He pays his tithing, he remembers his offerings, he
is obedient to the laws of God, and he is not afraid to bear
testimony to his friends and neighbors that it is through
his obedience that God has blessed and prospered him,
and made him what he is today. He is not the only one;
there are others that are prospered in like manner. And I
testify it is because God has blessed him, and his soil, and his
labors, and has given him the increase, securing to him the
blessings for which he sought and labored. He has acted
in good faith with the Lord, the Lord has known his heart,
and has blessed him accordingly, and he is prosperous today
in that desert, while as to many of his neighbors — go and
look for yourselves at their broad acres. They tell the story
for themselves. His lands are clear from noxious weeds,

286 GOSPEL DOCTRINE

because he has labored, and taken care of his lands, and that
by industry and intelligent application of labor, showing that
God has inspired him, and enlightened his mind. The Lord
has blessed him in his basket and in his store, in his labors
and in the thoughts of his mind, he has been inspired and
enabled to accomplish the work that he has done; I testify
that it is because of man's faith in the promises of the Lord,
and his desire to obey his laws, that he is blessed and pros-
pered of him.— Oct. C. R., 1897, pp. 35, 36.

The Widow and Her Tithing. Will you then deny
the widow, because she has only a mite to bestow ? Because
the tenth which she proposes to give in obedience to the
commandment of God is but a penny, are you going to de-
prive her of the privilege of having her name enrolled on
the book of the law of the Lord, and of having her gen-
ealogy acknowledged and recorded in the archives of the
Church? And because her name is not found there, are you
going to deny her the privileges of the house of God and of
the ordinances of the gospel? I think it is time the bishops
understood this principle. The bishop should encourage
every man, woman and child who earns and receives a return
for his labor, to honor the Lord and to prove his obedience
to the law of God by giving the one-tenth of that which
he or she receives, as the Lord requires, so that they may
have their names enrolled on the book of the law of/ the
Lord, that their genealogies may be had in the archives of
the Church, and that they may be entitled to the privileges
and blessings of the house of God.

• I recollect most vividly a circumstance that occurred in
the days of my childhood. My mother was a widow, with a
large family to provide for. One spring when we opened
our potato pits, she had her boys get a load of the best po-
tatoes, and she took them to the tithing office ; potatoes were
scarce that season. I was a little boy at the time, and drove
the team. When we drove up to the steps of the tithing

TITHING; THE POOR; INDUSTRY 287

office, ready to unload the potatoes, one of the clerks came
out and said to my mother, "Widow Smith, it's a shame that
you should have to pay tithing." He said a number of other
things that I remember well, but they are not necessary for
me to repeat here. The first two letters of the name of
that tithing clerk was William Thompson, and he chided my
mother for paying her tithing, called her anything but wise
or prudent; and said there were others who were strong
and able to work that were supported from the tithing of-
fice. My mother turned upon him and said : "William, you
ought to be ashamed of yourself. Would you deny me a
blessing? If I did not pay my- tithing, I should expect the
Lord to withhold his blessings from me. I pay my tithing,
not only because it is a law of God, but because I expect a
blessing by doing it. By keeping this and other laws, I ex-
pect to prosper, and to be able to provide for my family."
Though she was a widow, you may turn to the records of
the Church from the beginning unto the day of her death,
and you will find that she never received a farthing from
the Church to help her support herself and her family; but
she paid in thousands of dollars in wheat, potatoes, corn, veg-
etables, meat, etc. The tithes of her sheep and cattle, the
tenth pound of her butter, her tenth chicken,- the tenth of her
eggs, the tenth pig, the tenth calf, the tenth colt — a tenth of
everything she raised was paid. Here sits my brother, who
can bear testimony to the truth of what I say, as can others
who knew her. She prospered because she obeyed the laws
of God. She had abundance to sustain her family. We
never lacked so much as many others did; for while we
found nettle greens most acceptable when we first came to
the valley; and while we enjoyed thistle roots, segoes and"
all that kind of thing, we were no worse off than thousands
of others, and not so bad off as many, for we were never
without corn-meal and milk or butter, to my knowledge.
Then that widow had her name recorded in the book of the

288 GOSPEL DOCTRINE

law of the Lord. That widow was entitled to the priv-
ileges of the house of God. No ordinance of the gospel
could be denied her, for she was obedient to the laws of
God, and she would not fail in her duty, though discouraged
from observing a commandment of God by one who was in
an official position.

This may be said to be personal. By some it may be
considered egotistical. But I do not speak of it in that
light. When William Thompson told my mother that she
ought not to pay tithing, I thought he was one of the finest
fellows in the world. I believed every word he said. I had
to work and dig and toil myself. I had to help plow the
ground, plant the potatoes, hoe the potatoes, dig the potatoes,
and all that sort of thing, and then to load up a big wagon-
box full of the very best we had, leaving out the poor ones,
and bringing the load to the tithing office, I thought in my
childish way that it looked a little hard, especially when I
saw certain of my playmates and early associates of child-
hood, playing around, riding horses and having good times,
and who scarcely ever did a lick of work in their lives, and
yet were being fed from the public crib. Where are those
boys today? Are they known in the Church? Are they
prominent among the people of God ? Are they or were they
ever valiant in the testimony of Jesus Christ? Have they
a clear testimony of the truth in their hearts? Are they
diligent members of the Church ? No, and never have been
— as a rule, and most of them are dead or vanished out of
sight. Well, after I got a few years of experience, I was
converted, I found that my mother was right and that Wil-
liam Thompson was wrong. He denied the faith, aposta-
tized, left the country, and led away as many of his family
as would go with him. I do not want you to deny me the
privilege of being numbered with those who have the inter-
ests of Zion at heart, and who desire to contribute their pro-
portion to the upbuilding of Zion, and for the maintenance

TITHING; THE POOR; INDUSTRY 289

of the work of the Lord in the earth. It is a blessing that
I enjoy, and I do not purpose that anybody shall deprive
me of that pleasure.— Apr. C. R., 1900, pp. 48, 49.

The Widow and Tithing. I preach that which I be-
lieve and that which I do know to be true ; and I do know
that if men will obey the laws of God, God will honor and
bless them. I have proven it all my life through. I saw
it manifested in circumstances which occurred in my child-
hood, and I know that God has blessed the widow and the
fatherless when they have been obedient to his laws and
have kept his commandments.

I can tell you the history of a widow woman, with a large
family, who was more particular, if possible, to pay to the
Lord what belonged to him than she was to pay to her neigh-
bors to whom she might be indebted, and she never was
indebted to her neighbors, thank God, for anything that she
did not pay to the last cent, because the Lord blessed her
with plenty, and in her latter years she did not have to bor-
row of her neighbors, nor did she have to call upon the
Church for support either, but she paid thousands of -dollars
in products and money into the storehouse of the Lord, al-
though she was a widow with a large family to support. I
know this. I can testify of this, and that the Lord Almighty
blessed her, not only in the products of her fields, but in her
flocks and herds. They were not devoured. They were not
destroyed. They did not lie down and die. They in-
creased. They did not stray away ; and thieves did not steal
them. One reason for that was, she had a little boy that
watched them very carefully under her direction, and
prompting. Her eye was upon everything, she had super-
vision over everything, she directed those whom she em-
ployed, and her children; and I am a witness — and here
sits another witness (Patriarch John Smith) — that God, the
eternal Father, blessed her and prospered her while she

20

290 GOSPEL DOCTRINE

lived, and she was not only enabled to maintain herself and
children that were left to her in poverty, in a day of trial,
and when she was driven out into the wilderness, but she
was able to feed scores of the poor, and to pay her tithes
besides. Verily the Lord prospered her, and she was blessed.
—Oct. C. R. f 1897, pp. 35-37.

Who Receive Church Help Should be Tithe Pay-
ers. When one conies to a bishop and asks for assistance
because of his or her straitened circumstances, the first
thing the bishop should do is to inquire if he or she is a
tithe-payer. He should know whether the name is on the
book of the law of the Lord, and if not on the book, if he or
she has been derelict and negligent in relation to this prin-
ciple of tithing, he or she has no claim upon the bishop,
neither have their children ; and if, under those circum-
stances, the bishop assists him, it will simply be out of pure
charity and not because such have any claim upon the
Church. That is why the widow who receives assistance
from the Church should pay her tithing, so that her name
may be on the records of the Church. It is not a law that
is applicable to one and not to another. If the rich may
not receive blessings because their names are not on the
record, then neither shall the poor receive blessings in the
house of God, if their names are not recorded. So long as
a poor person receives his or her support through the tith-
ings of the people, they should be willing to observe the law
themselves in order that they may be entitled to what they
receive. They should show by their observance of the law
that they are law-keepers and not law-breakers. Our chil-
dren, as soon as they become old enough to earn means/
should be taught to pay their tithing, that their names may
be written in the book of the law of the Lord, so that if per-
chance their fathers die and they are left orphans, their
names, as well as the names of their parents, will be found
upon the records and they will, as God lives, be entitled to

TITHING; THE POOR; INDUSTRY 291

their support and to their education. It is our duty to look
after these children and see that they have an equal chance
with those who are more favored with parents to look after
them.— Oct. C. R. } 1899, pp. 44, 45.

Use of Tithing. I mention this simply to show that
these men, whose whole time is occupied in the ministry, are
only drawing their necessary support from the Church. They
must have that. You would not begrudge them that. Men
who are faithful, valiant, instant in season and out of sea-
son, and consequently engaged in the work of the ministry,
you surely would not say that they should not have food to
eat, raiment to wear, and where to lay their heads; and
that is all these men get from the Church. The laborer is
certainly worthy of his hire. So that your tithing is
not enriching your brethren of the ministry.. It is
being used to keep up the ordinances of the house of
God in these four temples. Thousands and thousands of dol-
lars of it are being used in educating the youth of Zion and
in maintaining the Church schools. Thousands of dollars
are being expended to feed and clothe the poor, and to take
care of those who are dependent upon the Church. They
look to their "mother" for succor and support, and it is
right and proper that the Church should provide for its own
poor and indigent, feeble and helpless, so far as possible. —
Apr. C. R., 1901, p. 71.

Commercialism and Tithing. The Church is charged
with commercialism. There is not the least semblance of
it, in truth. The Church is neither buying nor selling goods
or chattels. It is not engaged in merchandising of any de-
scription, and never has been ; and there could not well be
a more false and groundless statement made against the
Church than to charge it with commercialism. It is true
that, unlike other churches or religious organizations, the
people of this Church observe the law of tithing, which is
the law of revenue of the Church. We do not pass around

292 GOSPEL DOCTRINE

the hat to you, nor the collection box, for means to defray
the expenses incident to the carrying on of the work of the
Church. You give it voluntarily. This reminds me of an-
other falsehood that is spread abroad by our enemies,
namely: That. the "Mormon" people are compelled to pay
tithing, that the authorities of the Church demand it of them,
that it is made obligatory upon them, and is tyrannically ex-
acted from them all the time, which is an infamous falsehood,
a slander, for there is not a word or syllable of truth in it.
The observance of the law of tithing is voluntary. I can
pay my tithing or not, as I choose. It is a matter of choice
with me, whether I will do it or not do it ; but, feeling as I
do, loyal to the Church, loyal to its interests, believing that
it is right and just to observe the law of tithing, I do ob-
serve it — on the same principle that I think it is right for me
to observe the law of repentance, and of baptism, for the
remission of sins. It is my plesaure to do my duty with
reference to the observance of these principles, and to pay
my tithing. The Lord has revealed how this means shall
be cared for, and managed; namely, by the Presidency of
the Church and the High Council of the Church; (that is,
the Twelve Apostles), and the Presiding Bishopric of the
Church. I think there is wisdom in this. It is not left for
one man to dispose of it, or to handle it alone, not by any
means. It devolves^upon at least eighteen men, men of wis-
dom, of faith, of ability, as these eighteen men are. I say it
devolves upon them to dispose of the tithes of the people, and
to use them for whatever purpose in their judgment and
wisdom will accomplish the most good for the Church ; and
because this fund of tithing is disposed of by these men
whom the Lord has designated as having authority to do it,
for the necessities and benefit of the Church, they call it
"commercialism." What absurdity! You may just as well
call their practices in passing around their contribution
boxes, for collecting means with which to* build their

TITHING; THE POOR; INDUSTRY 293

churches, with which to pay their ministers, and with which
to carry on the monetary affairs of their churches, "com-
mercialism," as for them to charge us with "commercialism,"
because we handle the tithing of the Church, and appropriate
and use it for the benefit of the Church. — Apr. C. R., 1912,
pp. 5, 6.

Tithing Used Carefully and Full Accounts Kept.
I defy any man on earth to point his finger to a dollar that is
wilfully wasted or stolen by the servants of God. The tith-
ing books are kept as accurately and as perfectly as any
books are kept in any bank. Every man who pays a dollar
tithing gets his credit on the books ; and if he wants to see
that his credit is there he can go and see for himself. But we
do not propose to open our books and show your account to
every Tom, Dick and Harry in the land who never did pay
any tithing. We do not propose to do that, if we can help
it. But you Latter-day Saints, who pay your tithes and your
offerings, if you want to see for yourselves that you may be
eye and ear witnesses, the books are open to you, and you
can come and examine your accounts any business day you
want.— Oct. C. R. } 1905, p. 5.

Books Open to Tithe-payers. The man who com-
plains about not knowing what is done with the tithing, in
ninety-nine cases out of a hundred, is the man who has no
credit on the books of the Church for paying tithing. We
do not care to exhibit the books of the Church to such carp-
ers, and to that class of people. But there is not a tithe-
payer in the Church who cannot go to the Presiding Bish-
op's office, or to the office of the Trustee-in-Trust, if he
desires, and find his account, and see to it that every dollar
he has given to the Lord for tithing is credited to him.
Then, if he wants to be more searching as a tithe-payer, and
find out what is done with the tithing, we will set before him
the whole thing, and if he has any good counsel to give us
we will take it from him. But we will not — because we do

294 GOSPEL DOCTRINE

not have to, and it is not the business of the world to require
it — open our books to the world, unless we wish to. We are
not ashamed of them. We are not afraid for them to be
inspected. They are honest and straight ; and there is not a
man in the world that will look at them, but will say so, if
he is honest himself.— Apr. C. R., 1906, pp. 6, 7.

We Should Sympathize with the Unfortunate.
We too frequently see a disposition on the part of our chil-
dren to make fun of the unfortunate. A poor cripple, or a
poor, weak-minded person comes along, and the boys will
poke fun at him, and make unbecoming remarks about him.
This is entirely wrong, and such a spirit as this should
never be witnessed among the children of the Latter-day
Saints.— Oct. C. R., 1904, pp. 87, 88.

Charity to be Accepted Only When Necessary. —
There is such a thing as encouraging idleness and fostering
pauperism among men. Men and women ought not to be
willing to receive charity unless they are compelled to do so
to keep them from suffering. Every man and woman ought
to possess the spirit of independence, a self-sustaining spirit,
that would prompt him or her to say, when they are in need,
"I am willing to give my labor in exchange for that which
you give me." No man ought to be satisfied to receive, and
to do nothing for it. After a man is brought down to pov-
erty and is under the necessity of receiving aid, and his
friends give it to him, he should feel that it is an obligation
under which he is placed, and when the Lord should open
his way he would return the gift. That is the feeling we
should cultivate in our hearts, to make us a free and inde-
pendent people. The cultivation of any other feeling or
spirit than this is calculated to make paupers, to degrade and
bring mankind down to beggary, which is a most wretched
condition for men to be in. It is a bad thing for men to
think the world owes them a living, and all they have to do
is to beg or steal to get it. * * * I don't refer to the

TITHING; THE POOR; INDUSTRY 295

cripple, or to those who are enfeebled by age, because I look
at them in an entirely different light; there is a necessity
for them to live, and there is a necessity for us to assist
such, but there is no great need in this world for men and
women who are able to work and will not work. — Apr. C. R. }
1898, pp 46-48.

Cease to Waste Time ; Cease to be Idle. I desire to say
to this congregation at this time that I have felt very strongly
of late a desire, a responsibility, I may say, resting upon me,
to admonish the Latter-day Saints everywhere to cease loit-
ering away their precious time, to cease from all idleness.
It is said in the revelations that the idler in Zion shall not
eat the bread of the laborer, and there is vastly too much,
in some parts — not universally, but there is far too much pre-
cious time wasted by the youth of Zion, and perhaps by
some that are older and more experienced and who ought to
know better, in the foolish, vain and unprofitable practice of
card-playing. We hear of card parties here and card parties
there, and entertainments where the playing of cards is the
principal amusement ; and the whole evening is thus wasted.
The whole precious time of those who are gathered together
on occasions of this kind, aggregating many hours, abso-
lutely wasted. If there was nothing else to be said against
this practice, that alone should be sufficient to induce Latter-
day Saints not to indulge in this foolish and unprofitable
pastime.

Read good books. Learn to sing and to recite, and to
converse upon subjects that will be of interest to your asso-
ciates, and at your social gatherings, instead of wasting the
time in senseless practices that lead only to mischief and
sometimes to serious evil and wrong-doing; instead of doing
this, seek out of the best books knowledge and understand-
ing. Read history. Read philosophy, if you wish. Read
anything that is good, that will elevate the mind and will
add to your stock of knowledge, that those who associate

296 GOSPEL DOCTRINE

with you may feel an interest in your pursuit of knowledge
and of wisdom.— Oct. C. R., 1903, p. 98.

Gospel Blessings Obtained by Labor. We can never
attain to the blessings of the gospel by merely becoming ac-
quainted with it and then sitting down and doing nothing
ourselves to stem the current of evil that is preying upon us
and upon the world.— Apr. C. R,, 1900, p. 40.

Idlers Have No Place in Zion. There should be no
idlers in Zion. Even the poor who have to be assisted should
be willing to do all in their power to earn their own living.
Not one man or woman should be content to sit down and
be fed, clothed or housed without any exertion on his or her
part to compensate for these privileges. All men and
women should feel a degree of independence of character that
would stimulate them to do something for a living, and not
be idle ; for it is written that the idler shall not eat the bread
of the laborer in Zion, and he shall not have place among
us. Therefore, it is necessary that we should be industrious,
that we should intelligently apply our labor to something
that is productive and conducive to the welfare of the hu-
man family. God help us to do this, is my prayer. Amen. —
Apr. C. R. } 1899, p. 42 ; Doc. and" Cov. 42 :42 ; 68 :30 ; 75 :29.

A Message of the Latter-day Saints on Behalf of
the Poor. The position of the Latter-day Saints in regard
to the poor is perhaps well understood by most readers of the
Era, But there are some points which are not quite clear
to a number of our friends.

God has commanded this people to remember the poor,
and to give means for their support. No other community,
perhaps, has proved more willing than the Latter-day Saints
to obey this command. They have demonstrated this in the
past and have been very willing to impart of their prop-
erties to aid the poor and unfortunate, not only in their own
midst, but also those who live in other nations and other

TITHING; THE POOR; INDUSTRY 297

places in our own country. No call for help has ever been
heard in vain by them. And this is true, notwithstanding
the fact that they have often suffered from unjust oppres-
sion and great poverty, in which they have received little,
if any, sympathy and no help. They have always taken care
of themselves and besides have helped others.

A leading mission of the Church is to teach the gospel
of Christ in the world. It has an important message to
deliver, which not only includes the spiritual salvation of
men, but also their temporal welfare. It not only teaches
that faith is necessary, but also that works are required.
Belief in Jesus is well and good, but it must be of a living
kind which induces the believer to work out his own salva-
tion, and to aid others to do the same. We do not believe
in charity as a business; but rather we depend on mutual
helpfulness. While the gospel message requires faith and
repentance, it requires also that temporal necessities must be
met. So the Lord has revealed plans for the temporal sal-
vation of the people. For the benefit of the poor we have the
fast instituted, a leading object of which among other things
is to provide the poor with food and other necessities until
they may help themselves. For it is clear that plans which
contemplate only relieving present distress are deficient. The
Church has always sought to place its members in a way to
help themselves, rather than adopting the method of so
many charitable institutions of providing for only present
needs. When the help is withdrawn or used up, more must
be provided from the same sources, thus making paupers of
the poor and teaching them the incorrect principle of relying
upon others' help, instead of depending upon their own exer-
tions. This plan has made the Latter-day Saints independ-
ent wherever they have settled. It has prevented a constant
recurring of calls for help and established permanent condi-
tions by which the people help themselves. Our idea of
charity, therefore, is to relieve present wants and then to

298 GOSPEL DOCTRINE

put the poor in a way to help themselves so that in turn
they may help others. The funds are committed for distribu-
tion to wise men, generally to bishops of the Church, whose
duty it is to look after the poor.

We submit the equitable fast-day plan of the Lord to
the churches of the world as a wise and systematic way of
providing for the poor. I say equitable because it gives an
opportunity for the contribution of much or little, accord-
ing to the position and standing of tho^se who contribute;
and besides, it helps both the giver and. the receiver. If
the churches would adopt the universal monthly fast-day, as
observed by the Latter-day Saints, and devote the means
saved during the day to the alleviation, blessing and benefit
of the poor, and with a view to helping them to help them-
selves, there would soon be no poor in the land.

It would be a simple matter for people to comply with
this requirement — to abstain from food and drink one day
each month, and to dedicate what would be consumed during
that day to the poor, and as much more as they pleased. The
Lord has institued this law; it is simple and perfect, based
on reason and intelligence, and would not only prove a solu-
tion to the question of providing for the poor, but it would
result in good to those who observe the law. It would call
attention to the sin of over-eating, place the body in subjec-
tion to the spirit, and so promote communion with the Holy
Ghost, and insure a spiritual strength and power which the
people of the nation so greatly need. As fasting should al-
ways be accompanied by prayer, this law would bring the
people nearer to God, and divert their minds once a month,
at least, from the mad rush of worldly affairs, and cause
them to be brought into immediate contact with practical,
pure, and undefiled religion — to visit the fatherless and the
widow and keep themselves unspotted from the sins of the
world. For religion is not in believing the commandments

TITHING; THE POOR; INDUSTRY 299

only, it is in doing them. I would to God that men would
not only believe Jesus Christ and his teachings, but would
broaden their belief to the extent of doing the things that are
taught by him and doing them in spirit.

He certainly taught fasting, prayer and helpfulness. No
better start can be made than by fasting, praying to God, and
sacrificing means for the poor. This law combines belief
and practice, faith and* works, without which neither Ar-
menian nor Latter-day Saint, neither Jew nor Gentile, can
be saved.

When appeals are made to the Latter-day Saints for
aid, they are always willing to comply ; but we have also our
mission to perform ; to preach the gospel, to establish peace,
secure plenty, and promote happiness in the land; and our
people have learned through the commandments of God
how to take care of themselves and are trying to help others
to do likewise. They are ever helping each other and it is
seldom that poor are found among them who are unpro-
vided for. They are practically independent and may be-
come entirely so by a stricter adherence to the law of the
Lord! We believe that if other communities would adopt
the plans of consecration, fasting, and tithing which the
Lord has revealed to the Latter-day Saints and carry them
out in spirit, with faith and works, that poverty and pau-
perism would be greatly reduced or entirely overcome. Op-
portunities would be presented so that all might obtain work
and thus provide for themselves; and the other command
of the Lord would be obeyed: "Thou shalt not be idle; for
he that is idle shall not eat the bread nor wear the garments
of the laborer." — Improvement Era, Vol. 10, pp. 831-833.

CHAPTER XIV

Temperance; the Sabbath

Man Should Be Master of His Appetites. How hu-
miliating it must be to a thoughtful man to feel that he is a
slave to his appetites, or to an over-weening and pernicious
habit, desire or passion. We believe in strict temperance.
We believe in abstinence from all injurious practices, and
from the use of all hurtful things. Poison, in the judgment
of the physician, may be beneficial, under some conditions in
life, as a momentary relief; but poison, under any circum-
stance, should only be used as a temporary expedient, neces-
sary, perhaps, in our best judgment, for the time being, for
the instant — for sudden and certain desired relief — but the
continued use of that poison will fasten its fangs upon us,
so to speak, in such a way that by and by we will find that
we are overpowered by it, and we become slaves of the per-
nicious habit that becomes a tyrannical master over us. —
Apr. C. R., 1908, p. 4.

Moderation. We may make evil of all amusements,
but the Saints should not be unwise, but rather understand
what the will of the Lord is, and practice moderation in all
things. They should avoid excesses and cease from sin,
putting far from them "the lusts of men;" and in their
amusements and pastimes adopt a course that looks to the
spirit as well as the letter, the intention and not the act alone,
the whole and not the part, which is the meaning of mod-
eration. In this way their conduct will be reasonable and
becoming, and they shall find no trouble in understanding the
will of the Lord.

Let me exhort the young people particularly, and the
Saints generally, to weigh well the value of moderation in
all their actions and amusements. Remember, too, that ex-

TEMPERANCE; THE SABBATH 301

cessive feasting is not good; neither is excessive labor, but
idleness and waste of precious time is infinitely worse. "Let
your moderation be known to all men." — Improvement Era,
Vol. 6, p. 857, Sept., 1903.

Temperance. We endorse any movement looking to
temperance, looking to virtue, tending to purity of life and
to faith in God and obedience to his laws ; and we are against
evil of every description; and we are, in our faith and
prayers, against evil-doers — not that we would pray for evil
to come upon evil-doers, but that evil-doers might see the
folly of their ways and the wickedness of their acts and re-
pent of them and turn away from them. — Oct.C.R., 1908, p. 8.

How to Teach Temperance. The best way to teach
temperance is to keep the Word of Wisdom; and the next
best is to assist others to keep it, by removing artificial temp-
tations from their lives. Such temptation is the saloon, and
it is time that the sentiment in the communities where the
members of the Church reside should be declared against this
soul-destroying evil. — Juvenile Instructor, Vol. 46, p. 333,
June, 1911.

Use of Tobacco and Strong Drinks. The use of
tobacco in its various forms and of strong drinks to some
extent is also to be lamented and deplored, especially among
the youth, and this evil should be stamped out. The people
of God should set their faces like flint against these prac-
tices, and they should see to it that their children are taught
better, and that a better example is set before them by their
parents, in order that the children may grow up without
sin in these things. — Oct, C. R. } 1901, p. 2.

Do Not Smoke. Teach your children not to smoke;
persuade them not to do it. Watch and look after them,
and try to teach them better, and to be courteous and kind.
— Apr. C. R., 1905, p. 86.

The Saloon. No member of the Church of Jesus
Christ of Latter-day Saints can afford to do himself the dis-

302 GOSPEL DOCTRINE

honor, or bring upon himself the disgrace, of crossing the
threshold of a liquor saloon or a gambling hell, or of any
house of ill-fame of whatever name or nature it may be.
No Latter-day Saint, no member of the Church, can afford
it, for it is humiliating to him, it is disgraceful in him to do
it, and God will judge him according to his works. — Oct. C.
R., 1908, p. 7.

If, I say, the people would observe the principles of this
revelation, (Doc. and Cov. 89), there could not exist in their
midst that most obnoxious institution known as a saloon;
it can not exist where only Latter-day Saints dwell. — Oct.
C. R., 1908, p. 6.

Defeat the Liquor Interests. The liquor interests
— the enemies of the race — are again making keen efforts to
restore the former low-down conditions. In some places,
we understand, enough petitioners have already been ob-
tained and the names filed with the commissioners requesting
an election this June. With all good people we join in hop-
ing that these efforts may utterly fail to restore the saloon.
This should be the desire of all Latter-day Saints, and their
prayers should be supported by their works and votes. In
these elections the wives, mothers and sisters have their
golden opportunity with fathers and brothers to arise and
utterly crush the cursed traffic in drink for which so many
have suffered in sweat, and pain, and tears. — Improvement
Era, Vol. 16, 1912-13, p. 824.

Vitality and Patent Medicines. Instead of flock-
ing out to hear smooth-tongued impostors, people should
leave them severely alone. Instead of dosing themselves
with patent medicines, they should learn to keep their
bodies healthy by right living (See Doctrine and Covenants,
Sec. 89), by inhaling pure air, taking plenty of exercise, and
bathing not only often in fresh water, but also in the sun-
shine with which our merciful Father has so abundantly
provided us. If there are cases of sickness, as there will be

TEMPERANCE; THE SABBATH 303

notwithstanding any precaution we may take, which com-
mon sense and good nursing, or simple home remedies do
not suffice to cure, let us follow the advice of the Scriptures
(James 5:14-16), but if we do not believe in the elders, or
in the prayer of faith saving the sick, let a. reputable and
faithful physician be consulted. By all means, let the quack,
the traveling fakir, the cure-all nostrum, and the indiscrim-
inate dosing with patent medicine, be abolished' like so much
trash.

The young man who would cope with the world, who
would be full of vigor, and fresh for the battle of life,
will find his strength in living according to the word of the
Lord; for the promise is that all "who remember to keep
and do these sayings, walking in obedience to the command-
ments, shall receive health in their navel, and marrow to
their bones, and shall find wisdom and great treasures of
knowledge, even hidden treasures ; and shall run and not be
weary, and shall walk and not faint; and I, the Lord, give
unto them a promise, that the destroying angel shall pass by
them, as the children of Israel, and not slay them." — Im-
provement Era, Vol. 5, June, 1902, p. 624.

Stamp Out Profanity and Vulgarity. We should
stamp out profanity, and vulgarity, and everything of that
character that exists among us ; for all such things are incom-
patible with the gospel and inconsistent with the people of
God.— Oct. C. R. } 1901, p. 2.

Saturday's Work. A good modern eighth command-
ment might read something like this : Do not so overwork
and fret on Saturday as to deprive the Sabbath of the devo-
tions and worship that belong to it as a day of rest.

In the home, Saturday is the day set apart for house-
cleaning, for extra cooking, for mending and all sorts of re-
pairs that the Sabbath is thought to require. In business,
Saturday is a day for picking up all loose ends, for closing
up all the unfinished details of a week's work.

304 GOSPEL DOCTRINE

The consequences of our modern treatment of the last
day of the week are too often manifested in an indolence
and supine indifference that make our feelings and a total
lack of energy almost incompatible with the spirit of wor-
ship. No worn out man or woman, by the excessive toil of
an early Saturday morning and a late Saturday night, can
properly worship God in spirit, and in truth. — Juvenile In-
structor, Vol. 44, July, 1909, p. 295.

Purpose of the Sabbath. The Sabbath is a day of
rest and of worship, designated and set apart by special com-
mandment of the Lord to the Church of Jesus Christ of Lat-
ter-day Saints, and we should honor and keep it holy. We
should also teach our children this principle. — Oct. C. R. }
1901, pp. 1,2.

The Meaning of Sunday. True, Sunday is a day of
rest, a change from the ordinary occupations of the week,
but it is more than that. It is a day of worship, a day in
which the spiritual life of man may be enriched. A day of
indolence, a day of physical recuperations is too often a very
different thing from the God-ordained day of rest. Phys-
ical exhaustion and indolence are incompatible with a spirit
of worship. A proper observance of the duties and devotions
of the Sabbath day will, by its change and its spiritual life,
give the best rest that man can enjoy on the Sabbath day.

Saturday evening may be wisely set apart as a time for
thoughtful conversation or helpful reading as an introduc-
tion to the Sabbath day. — Juvenile Instructor, Vol. 44, July,
1909, p. 297.

What Shall We Do on the Sabbath Day? My be-
lief is that it is the duty of Latter-day Saints to honor the
Sabbath day and keep it holy, just as the Lord has command-
ed us to do. Go to the house of prayer. Listen to instructions.
Bear your testimony to the truth. Drink at the fountain
of knowledge and of instruction, as it may be opened for us
from those who are inspired to give us instruction. When

TEMPERANCE; THE SABBATH 305

we go home, get the family together. Let us sing a few
songs. Let us read a chapter or two in the Bible, or in the
Book of Mormon, or in the book of Doctrine and Covenants.
Let us discuss the principles of the gospel which pertain to
advancement in the school of divine knowledge, and in this
way occupy one day in seven. I think it would be profit-
able for us to do this. — M. I. A. Conference, June 11, 1916,
Young Woman's Journal, Vol. 27, pp. 455-460.

Necessity of Sunday Worship. It is imperatively
necessary, at all times, and especially so when our associa-
tions do not afford us the moral and spiritual support which
we require for our advancement, that we go to the house
of the Lord to worship and mingle with the Saints that their
moral and spiritual influence may help to correct our false
impressions and restore us to that life which the duties and
obligations of our conscience and true religion impose upon
us.

"Good times" are often dangerous times, and social fra-
ternity, if not of the right character, will prove more harmful
than helpful. Let us, therefore, in the midst of our worldly
callings and associations, not forget that paramount duty
which we owe to ourselves and to our God. — Juvenile In-
structor, Vol. 47, March, 1912, p. 145.

Be Wise in All You Do. Leave these poisonous and
injurious things alone; live within your means; get out of
debt, and keep out of debt; do not run faster than you can
go safely; be careful and cautious in what you do; advise
with those who have wisdom and experience, before you
leap, lest you leap into the dark; and so guard yourselves
from possible evil and disadvantage, that the Lord can pour
©ut the blessings of heaven upon you, yes "open the windows
of heaven" and pour out upon you blessings that you shall
scarcely have room to contain them. — Apr. C. R. } 1910,
pp. 6, 7.

The Nature and Purpose of FASTiNG.^The law to the

21

306 GOSPEL DOCTRINE

Latter-day Saints, as understood by the authorities of the
Church, is that food and drink are not to be partaken of for
twenty-four hours, "from even to even, and that the Saints
are to refrain from all bodily gratification and indulgences.
Fast-day being on the Sabbath, it follows, of course, that all
labor is to be abstained from. In addition, the leading and
principal object of the institution of the fast among the Lat-
ter-day Saints was that the poor might be provided with food
and other necessities. It is, therefore, incumbent upon every
Latter-day Saint to give to his bishop, on fast day, the food
that he or his family would consume for the day, that it may
be given to the poor for their benefit and blessing; or, in
lieu of the food, that its equivalent amount, or if the person
is wealthy a liberal donation, in money, be so reserved and
dedicated to the poor.

Now, while the law requires the Saints in all the world
to fast from "even to even" and to abstain both from food
and drink, it can easily be seen from the Scriptures, and
especially from the words of Jesus, that it is more important
to obtain the true spirit of love for God and man, "purity
of heart and simplicity of intention," than it is to carry out
the cold letter of the law. The Lord has instituted the fast
on a reasonable and intelligent basis, and none of his works
are vain or unwise. His law is perfect in this as in other
things. Hence, those who can are required to comply there-
to ; it is a duty from which they cannot escape ; but let it be
remembered that the observance of the fast day by abstain-
ing twenty- four hours from food and drink is not an absolute
rule, it is no iron-clad law to us, but it is left with the people
as a matter of conscience, to exercise wisdom and discre-
tion. Many are subject to weakness, others are delicate in
health, and others have nursing babies ; of such it should not
be required to fast. Neither should parents compel their
little children to fast. I have known children to cry for
something to eat on fast day. In such cases, going without

TEMPERANCE; THE SABBATH 307

food will do them no good. Instead, they dread the day to
come, and in place of hailing it, dislike it; while the com-
pulsion engenders a spirit of rebellion in them, rather than
a love for the Lord and their fellows. Better to teach them
the principle, and let them observe it when they are old
enough to choose intelligently, than to so compel them.

But those should fast who can, and all classes among us
should be taught to save the meals which they would eat,
or their equivalent, for the poor. None are exempt from
this; it is required of the Saints, old and young, in every
part of the Church. It is no excuse that in some places
there are no poor. In such cases the fast donation should
be forwarded to the proper authorities for transmission to
such stakes of Zion as may stand in need.

So shall we gain favor in the sight of God, and learn the
acceptable fast before him. — Improvement Era, Vol. 6, De-
cember, 1903, p. 146.

Keeping the Sabbath Holy. To observe the Sabbath
day properly is the plain duty of every Latter-day Saint —
and that includes the young men and young women and the
boys and girls. It may seem strange that it should be neces-
sary to repeat this often-asserted fact. But there appears
to be some people, and sometimes whole communities, who
neglect this duty, and therefore stand in need of this ad-
monition.

What are we required to do on the Sabbath day? The
revelations of the Lord to the Prophet Joseph are very plain
on this subject, and these should govern us, for they are
in strict harmony with the teachings of the Savior. Here
are some of the simple requirements :

The Sabbath is appointed unto you to rest from your
labors.

The Sabbath is a special day for you to worship, to pray,
and to show zeal and ardor in your religious faith and duty
— to pay devotions to the Most High.

308 GOSPEL DOCTRINE

The Sabbath is a day when you are required to offer
your time and attention in worship of the Lord, whether in
meeting, in the home, or wherever you may be — that is the
thought that should occupy your mind.

The Sabbath day is a day when, with your brethren
and sisters, you should attend the meetings of the Saints,
prepared to partake of the sacrament of the Lord's supper ;
having first confessed your sins before the Lord and your
brethren and sisters, and forgiven your fellows as you expect
the Lord to forgive you.

On the Sabbath day you are to do no other thing than
to prepare your food with singleness of heart, that your fast-
ing may be perfect, and your joy may be full. This is what
the Lord calls fasting and prayer.

The reason for this required course upon the Sabbath
day is also plainly stated in the revelations. It is that one
may more fully keep himself unspotted from the world ;
and to this end, also, the Saints are required to go to the
house of prayer and offer up their sacraments on the Sab-
bath day.

Now, what is the promise to the Saints v^ho observe
the Sabath? The Lord declares that inasmuch as they do
this with cheerful hearts and countenances, the fulness of
the earth is theirs : "the beasts of the field and the fowls of
the air, and that which climbeth upon the trees and walketh
upon the earth. Yea, and the herb, and the good things
which cometh of the earth, whether for food or for raiment,
or for houses, or for barns, or for orchards, or for gardens,
or for vineyards." (Doc. and Cov. 59.)

These are all made for the benefit and use of man, to
please the eye and to gladden the heart, to strengthen the
body and to enliven the soul. All are promised to those who
keep the commandments, and among the commandments is
this important one, to observe properly the Sabbath day.

TEMPERANCE; THE SABBATH 309

The Lord is not pleased with people who know these
things and do them not.

Men are not resting from their labors when they plow,
and plant and haul and dig. They are not resting when they
linger around the home all day on Sunday, doing odd jobs
that they have been too busy to do on other clays.

Men are not showing zeal and ardor in their religious
faith and duty when they hustle off early Sunday morning
on the cars, in teams, in automobiles, to the canyons, the re-
sorts, and to visit friends or places of amusement, with their
wives and children. They are not paying their devotions
in this way to the Most High.

Not in seeking pleasure and recreation do they offer
their time and attention in the worship of the Lord; nor
can they thus rejoice in the spirit of forgiveness and wor-
ship that comes with partaking of the holy sacrament.

Boys and young men are not fasting with singleness of
heart, that their joy may be full, when they spend the Sab-
bath day loafing around the village ice-cream stand or restau-
rant, playing games, or in buggy-riding, fishing, shooting,
or engaged in physical sports, excursions and outings. Such
is not the course that will keep them unspotted from the
world, but rather one that will deprive them of the rich
promises of the Lord, give them sorrow instead of joy, and
unrest and anxiety instead of the peace that comes with
works of righteousness.

Let us play and take recreation to our hearts' content
during other days, but on the Sabbath let us rest, worship,
go to the house of prayer, partake of the sacrament, eat our
food with singleness of heart, and pay our devotions to
God, that the fulness of the earth may be ours, and that we
may have peace in this world and eternal life in the world
to come.

"But," says one, "in our settlement we have no other

310 GOSPEL DOCTRINE

day for amusement and sports, excursions and outings, ball
games and races. "

Then demand one.

Is it possible that parents, in the face of the promises
of the Lord, will deny a day in the week when their children
may have recreation; and so force them to spend the Sab-
bath in sports !

One prominent man, in one of the northern stakes,
where ball games and other sports are said to be the rule
on Sunday, asked what could be done to remedy the evil.
He was told to try a half holiday on one of the week days.

"Then," he replied, "we can have no change nor rem-
edy. Here are hundreds of acres of hay and ripening fields
crying for workmen, and we cannot spare our boys for play."

The best reply to such an argument is the question:
"Which is best — to let the hay go to ruin, or the boy? Let
the hay go ; save the boy. He is worth more than all your
material possessions. Save him in the spirit of the gospel —
protect him from Sabbath-breaking — by offering a little tem-
poral sacrifice, and the Lord* will keep his promise to you.
Get together in your ward, unitedly select a day for play and
recreation ; and like faithful Saints demand that the Sabbath
day, as far as you and yours are concerned, shall be devoted
to the Lord our God. — Improvement Era, Vol. 13, 1909-10,
pp. 842-844.

Do Not Rob the Sabbath Day. It is incumbent on
members of the Church to so plan their work that there
shall be no excuse for robbing the Lord's day of its sanc-
tity. To this end let the boys and girls have a half holiday
during the week, which may be profitably used for recre-
ations, leaving the Sabbath for spiritual culture and wor-
ship. It is equally obligatory that we so plan our amuse-
ments that these shall not interfere with our worship. Let
therefore some other night than Saturday be provided for
the purpose. The Lord has commanded his people to ob-

TEMPERANCE; THE SABBA TH 311

serve the Sabbath day to keep it holy, and on that day to
go to the house of prayer and offer up their sacraments in
righteousness with willing hearts and penitent spirits. — Im-
provement Era, Vol. 12, 1909, p. 315.

Man Must Be Master of Himself. No man is safe
unless he is master of himself; and there is no tyrant more
merciless or more to be dreaded than an uncontrollable appe-
tite or passion. We will find that if we give way to the
groveling appetites of the flesh and follow them up, that
the end will be invariably bitter, injurious and sorrowful,
both to the individual and society. It is hurtful in example
as well as in its individual effects ; dangerous and hurtful
to the unwary; while the denial of these appetites — the
crucifixion of the flesh, so to speak — and an aspiration for
something noble ; whenever possible, doing good to our fel-
low creatures, hoping for the future, laying up treasures in
heaven, where mbth and rust cannot corrupt, and where
thieves cannot break through and steal — all these things
will bring everlasting happiness; happiness for this world
and the world to come. If there is no pleasure in the world
except that which we experience in the gratification of our
physical desires — eating, drinking, gay associations, and the
pleasures of the world — then the enjoyments of the world
are bubbles, there is nothing in them, there is no lasting ben-
efit or happiness to be derived from them. — Deseret Weekly
News, Vol. 33, 1884, p. 130.

CHAPTER XV
Many Duties of Man

The Object of Man's Existence. The object of our
being here is to do the will of the Father as it is done in
heaven, to work righteousness in the earth, to subdue wick-
edness and" put it under our feet, to conquer sin and the ad-
versary of our souls, to rise above the imperfections and
weaknesses of poor, fallen humanity, by the inspiration of
Almighty God and his power made manifest, and thus be-
come indeed the saints and servants of the Lord in the earth.
— Apr. C. R., 1902, p. 85.

We Deal With the^Lord. We are dealing with our
faith and consciences, you are dealing not with me, not with
the Presidency of the Church, but with the Lord. I am not
dealing with men respecting my tithing, my dealings are
with the Lord ; that is, with reference to my own conduct
in the Church as a tithe-payer, and with reference to my ob-
servance of the other laws and rules of the Church ; if I fail
to observe the laws of the Church, I am responsible to my
God, and will have to answer to him, by and by, for my neg-
lect of duty, and I may have to answer to the Church for my
fellowship. If I do my duty, according to my understanding
of the requirements that the Lord has made of me, then I
ought to have a conscience void of offense ; I ought to have
satisfaction in my soul, in the consciousness that I have sim-
ply done my duty as I understand it, and I will risk the con-
sequences. With me it is a matter between me and the
Lord ; so it is with every one of us. — Apr. C. R., 1911, p. 6.

Necessity for All to Accomplish their Missions.
He that sent his Only Begotten Son into the world to ac-
complish the mission which he did, also sent every soul with-
in the sound of my voice, and indeed every man and woman
in the world, to accomplish a mission, and that mission can-

MANY DUTIES OF MAN 313

not be accomplished by neglect ; nor by indifference ; nor can
it be accomplished in ignorance. We must learn our duty;
learn the requirements that the Lord has made at our hands,
and understand the responsibilities that he has placed upon
us. We should learn the obligation that we are under to
God and to each other, and that we are under also to the
cause of Zion, that has been restored to the earth in the lat-
ter days. These things are essential, and we cannot prosper
in spiritual things, we cannot grow in knowledge and under-
standing, our minds cannot expand in the knowledge of
God, nor in wisdom, nor in the gifts of the Holy Spirit, with-
out we devote our thoughts and our efforts toward our own
betterment, toward the increase of our own wisdom, and
knowledge in the things of God.

We labor day by day for the bread that perishes, and
we devote but a few hours, comparatively, in seeking to
obtain the bread of life. Our thoughts, in great measure,
are placed upon worldly things, the things that perish, and
therefore we are prone to neglect the higher duties that
devolve upon us as the children of our father, and to for-
get, in some measure, the greater obligations that rest upon
us. It is therefore proper, and indeed it becomes the duty
of those who are placed upon the towers as watchmen in
Zion to exhort the people to diligence, to prayerfulness, to
humility, to a love of the truth that has been revealed to
them, and to earnest devotion to the work of the Lord,
which is intended for their individual salvation, and so far as
they have influence upon others, the salvation of those whom
they may have power to influence to move in the right direc-
tion ; not that I can save any man, nor that any one man can
save any other man or fit him for exaltation in the kingdom
of God. This is not given to me to do for others, nor is it
given to any man to be a Savior in this sense, or in this
way, to his fellow man ; but men can set an example ; men
can urge the precepts of the gospel, Men can proclaim the

314 GOSPEL DOCTRINE

truth to others, and can point out the way to them in which
to walk, and if they will harken to their counsel, listen to
their admonitions and be led by them, they themselves will
seek the path of life and they will walk in it, and obtain their
exaltation for themselves. And thus the work required of
us by the Lord is an individual work, it devolves upon each
individual alike. No man can be saved in the kingdom of
God in sin. No man will ever be forgiven of his sins by
the just Judge, except he repent of his sins. No man will
ever be freed from the power of death unless he is born
again as the Lord Almighty has decreed, and declared to
the world by the mouth of his Son in the meridian of time,
and as he has declared it again in this dispensation through
the Prophet Joseph Smith. Men can only be saved and
exalted in the kingdom of God in righteousness, therefore
we must repent of our sins, and walk in the light as Christ
is in the light, that his blood may cleanse us from all sins,
and that we may have fellowship with God and receive of
his glory and exaltation. — Oct. C. R. } 1907, p. 4.

God Honors Those Who Honor Him. Though the
Lord should try me by withholding his blessings from me,
and making me to drink to the very dregs the bitter cup of
poverty, that should make no difference to me. The point
is, what is the law of God ? And if I know that law, it is my
duty to obey it, though I suffer death in consequence. Many
a man has gone to the stake in obedience, as he believed,
to the commandments of God. Not one of the ancient disci-
ples who were chosen of Jesus Christ, escaped martyrdom,
except Judas and John. Judas betrayed the Lord, and then
sacrificed his own life ; and John received the promise of the
Lord that he should live until he came again to the earth.
All the others were put to death, some crucified, some drag-
ged in the streets of Rome, some thrown from pinnacles,
and some stoned to death. What for ? For obeying the law
of God and bearing testimony to that which they knew to be

MANY DUTIES OF MAN 315

true. So may it be today. But let the spirit of this gospel
be so imbedded in my soul that though I go through poverty,
through tribulation, through persecution, or to death, let me
and my house serve God and keep his laws. However, the
promise is that you shall be blessed through obedience. God
will honor those who honor him, and will remember those
who remember him. He will uphold and sustain all those
who sustain truth and are faithful to it. God help us, there-
fore, to be faithful to the truth, now and forever. — Apr. C.
R., 1900, pp. 49, 50.

Qualifications of Latter-day Saints. Now we all
need patience, forbearance, forgiveness, humility, charity,
love unfeigned, devotion to the truth, abhorrence of sin
and wickedness, rebellion and disobedience to the require-
ments of the gospel. These are the qualifications requisite
to Latter-day Saints and to becoming Latter-day Saints and
members in good standing in the Church of Jesus Christ and
heirs of God and joint heirs with Jesus Christ. No mem-
ber in good standing in the Church will be drunken or riot-
ous or profane or will take advantage of his brother or his
neighbor or will violate the principles of virtue and honor
and righteousness. No member of the Church of Jesus
Christ of Latter-day Saints in good standing will ever be
chargeable with such offenses as these, because members will
avoid these evils, and they will live above them. Then we
have a mission in the world : each man, each woman, each
child, who has grown to understanding or to the years of
accountability, ought to be an example to the world. They
ought not only to be qualified to preach the truth, to bear tes-
timony of the truth, but ought to live so that the very life
they live, the very words they speak, their every action in
life will be a sermon to the unwary and to the ignorant,
teaching them goodness, purity, uprightness, faith in God
and love for the human family. — Apr. C. R., 1916, pp. 6, 7.

Perfection in Our Sphere. I sincerely hope that the

316 GOSPEL DOCTRINE

spirit of the conference will abide with us, will go with us
to our homes, and that we will be able to continue to build
on the foundations of the gospel of the Son of God until
we become perfect, even as our Father in heaven is perfect,
according to the sphere and intelligence that we act in and
possess. I do not expect that any of us will ever become in
mortality quite so perfect as God is perfect; but in the
spheres in which we are called to act, and according to the
capacity and breadth of intelligence that we possess, in our
sphere and in the exercise of the talent, the ability, and in-
telligence that God has given to us, we may become as per-
fect in our sphere as God is perfect in his higher and more
exalted sphere. I believe that. — Apr. C. R., 1915, p. 140.

Let Every Man Live to Bear Closest Inspection. Let
every man's life be so that his character will bear the closest
inspection, and that it may be seen as an open book, so that he
will have nothing to shrink from or.be ashamed of. Let all
men who are elevated to positions of trust in the Church live
so that no man can point to their faults, because they will have
no faults; so that no man can justly accuse them of wrong-
doing, because they do no wrong ; that no man can point out
their defects as "human" and as "weak mortals/' because
they are living up to the principles of the gospel, and are
not merely "weak human creatures/' devoid of the Spirit of
God and the power to live above sin. That is the way for
all men to live in the kingdom of God. — Oct. C. R., 1906,
pp. 9, 10.

Need of Individual Responsibility. It is not safe for
men or women to conclude that because they have fulfilled
carefully their public responsibilities they have done all that
is required of them. Public requirements are changeable.
Public demands vary with the times. Sometimes they are
strict and sometimes they are very lax. Public sentiment be-
comes fickle, and it is often indifferent to the conduct of indi-
viduals who take license from a public indifference to wrong

MANY D UTIES OF MAN 317

doing. Individual responsibility is more concerned with the
duties which men owe to their God whose requirements are
positive and constant. When men feel that they are ever
under an All-seeing Eye, their conduct is measured in the
strictest terms. They are not subject to lapses of public
sentiment.

The first and highest standard of correct living is to
be found in that individual responsibility which keeps men
good for the truth's sake. It is not difficult for men who
are true to themselves to be true to others. Men who honor
God in their private lives do not need the restraint of pub-
lic opinion which may not only be indifferent, but positively
wrong. It is by the individual • responsibilities which men
feel that they are able to place themselves on the right side
of all public questions. Those who neglect the inner life
are dependent upon public guidance which leads them into
all sorts of inconsistencies.

To walk safely and steadfastly without leaning upon
the arm of flesh is the individual duty of every Latter-day
Saint. Such a duty becomes a responsibility which men owe
to themselves and to their God. The Saints should study
their responsibilities, both public and individual, and find
out, if they can, just what they are. — Juvenile Instructor,
December, 1909, Vol. 44, p. 519.

Conquer Ourselves First. I feel very grateful for
the excellent peace and spirit which has pervaded all our
meetings. It is true, we are all engaged in a warfare, and
all of us should be valiant warriors in the cause in which
we are engaged. Our first enemy we will find within our-
selves. It is a good thing to overcome that enemy first and
bring ourselves into subjection to the will of the Father,
and into strict obedience to the principles of life and salva-
tion which he has given to the world for the salvation of
men. When we shall have conquered ourselves, it will be
well for us to wage our war without, against false teachings,

318 GOSPEL DOCTRINE

false doctrines, false customs, habits and ways, against error,
unbelief, the follies of the world that are so prevalent, and
against infidelity, and false science, under the name of
science, and every other thing that strikes at the founda-
tions of the principles set forth in the doctrine of Christ for
the redemption of men and the salvation of their souls —
Oct. C. R., 1914, p. 128.

Let Us Conquer Ourselves. Let us conquer our-
selves, and then go to and conquer all the evil that we see
around us, as far as we possibly can. And we will do it
without using violence; we will do it without interfering
with the agency of men or of women. We will do it by
persuasion, by long-suffering, by patience, and by forgive-
ness and love unfeigned, by which we will win the hearts,
the affections and the souls of the children of men to the
truth, as God has revealed it to us. We will never have
peace, nor justice, nor truth, until we look to the only true
fountain for it, and receive from the fountainhead. — Oct.
C. R., 1906, p. 129.

Charity the Greatest Principle. Charity, or love,
is the greatest principle in existence. If we can lend a help-
ing hand to the oppressed, if we can aid those who are de-
spondent and in sorrow, if we can uplift and ameliorate the
condition of mankind, it is our mission to do it, it is an es-
sential part of our religion to do it. — Apr. C. R., 1918, p. 4.

Look for Good; Not for Evil. Change the focus of
your view, and of your eye, from watching for evil to
watching for that which is good, that which is pure, and
leading and prompting those who err into that path which
has no error in it, and that will not admit of mistakes. Look
for good in men, and where they fail to possess it, try to
build it up in them; try to increase the good in them; look
for the good ; build up the good ; sustain the good ; and speak
as little about the evil as you possibly can. It does not do
any good to magnify evil, to publish evil, or to promulgate

MANY DUTIES OF MAN 319

it by tongue or pen. There is no good to be obtained by it.
It is better to bury the evil and magnify the good, and prompt
all men to forsake evil and learn to do good; and let our
mission be to save mankind and to teach and guide in the
path of righteousness, and not to sit as judges and pass
judgment upon evil-doers, but rather to be saviors of men.
— Apr. C. R. f 1913, p. 8.

Estimate Men by their Noble Deeds One fruitful
source of apostasy from the Church comes from an inclina-
tion on the part of those who apostatize to consider the
small, mostly unintentionally committed errors of its offi-
cers, rather than the broader and more important labors
which enter into their experience. Young men so inclined
turn from the infinite truth of the gospel, and the mighty
plan of salvation, the eternal purposes of God, to carp and
cavil upon the insignificant actions and the imperfect achieve-
ments of men, judging the inspiring magnitude of the former
by the disagreeable and tiresome detail of the latter. Many
of the serious annoyances of communal life among the Saints
would be obliterated entirely if men would search for the
great and noble aspirations actuating their neighbors, rather
than for the imperfect sidelights that lay bare their puny
shortcomings. Those who wish to advance in the world
will avoid soul-destroying, mind-narrowing thoughts, and
devote the days allotted to them, which it will be found' are
none too numerous, in studying the greater, nobler, and
grander subjects that tend to build character, provide hap-
piness, and create harmony with the mighty purposes of the
Church and its founder, the Lord Jesus Christ.

Let us estimate our brethren by their best desires and
noblest aspirations, not by their trifling shortcomings and
failures. We estimate the majesty of the Wasatch by Monte
Christo, Baldy, Observatory, the mighty Cottonwoods, Clay-
ton, Timpanogos, and Nebo — its loftiest peaks — not by its
rolling elevations or hillocky spurs, rocks ravines or tri-

320 GOSPEL DOCTRINE

fling canyons. So also let us judge our fellows, and so the
Church. It is the better way. — Improvement Era, March,
1902, Vol. 5, p. 388.

Let Us Sustain One Another. Let us sustain Christ,
his people, and his cause of righteousness and redemption;
let us sustain one another in the right, and kindly admonish
one another in regard to wrongdoing, that we may be friends
and saviors on Mount Zion, one for another, and that we
may help the weak and strengthen them, encourage the
doubtful and bring light to their right understandings as
far as it is possible, that we may be instrumental in the
hands of God of being saviors among men. Not that we
have power to save men. We have not ; but we have power
to show them how they can obtain salvation through obe-
dience to the laws of God. We can show them how to walk
in order to be saved, for we have the right to do that, we
have knowledge and understanding as to how to do it, and
it is our privilege to teach it and to enforce it by example as
well as by precept among our associates wherever we are in
the world.— Oct. C. R., 1907, pp. 9, 10.

Do Not Bear Malice Against One Another. Breth-
ren and sisters, we want you to be united. We hope and
pray that you will go from this conference to your homes
feeling in your hearts and' from the depths of your soul to
forgive one another, and never from this time forth to bear
malice towards another fellow-creature. I do not care
whether he is a member of the Church of Jesus Christ of
Latter-day Saints or not, whether he is a friend or a foe,
whether he is good or bad. It is extremely hurtful for any
man holding the priesthood, and enjoying the gift of the
Holy Ghost to harbor a spirit of envy, or malice, or retalia-
tion, or intolerance toward or against his fellow-men. We
ought to say in our hearts, let God judge between me and
thee, but as for me, I will forgive. I want to say to you
that Latter-day Saints who harbor a feeling of unforgive-

MANY DUTIES OF MAN 321

ness in their souls are more guilty and more censurable than
the one who has sinned against them. Go home and dismiss
envy and hatred from your hearts; dismiss the feeling of
unforgiveness ; and cultivate in your souls that spirit of
Christ which cried out upon the cross, "Father, forgive
them ; for they know not what they do." This is the spirit
that Latter-day Saints ought to possess all the day long.
The man who has that spirit in his heart and keeps it there
will never have any trouble with his neighbor ; he will never
have any difficulties to bring before the bishop, nor high
council ; but he will always be at peace with himself, at peace
with his neighbors, and at peace with God. It is a good
thing to be at peace with God.— Oct. C. R., 1902, pp. 86, 87.
Honor Yourselves and Your Neighbors. We ad-
monish, we beseech our brothers and sisters, in the gospel of
Jesus Christ, not only to honor themselves by a proper
course of living, but also to honor and love and be charitable
to their neighbors, every one of them. We admonish you not
only to keep the greatest of all the commandments that has
ever been given of God to man, to love the Lord your God,
with all your heart, and mind, and strength, but we exhort
you also to observe that second law, next unto it, to love
your neighbors as yourselves; return good for evil, do not
revile others because you are or may be reviled. We have
no need to tear down the houses of other people (using this
expression as a symbol). We are perfectly willing that they
should live in the homes they have erected for themselves,
and we will try to show them a better way. While we will
not condemn that which they love and cherish above all
other things in the world, we will endeavor to show them a
better way and build them a better house, and then invite
them kindly, in the spirit of Christ, of true Christianity, to
enter the better dwelling. That is the principle, and I wish
to impress it upon you this morning. I desire to impress, if
I can, upon the minds of the parents the necessity of prop-

22

322 GOSPEL DOCTRINE

erly instructing and teaching their children with reference
to this glorious principle, charity and love, that love for our
neighbor that will enable us to cherish his rights as sacredly
as we cherish our own, to defend the rights and liberties,
put up the fallen bars in the fences of our neighbors that
are carelessly left down, just as we would put our own bars
up surrounding our own fields, in order to protect our crops
from the ravages of stray animals. — Ap. C. R., 1917, p. 4.

Avoid Courts. Be reconciled to each other. Do not
go to the courts of the Church nor to the courts of the land
for litigation. Settle your own troubles and difficulties ;
ar\d, as Bishop Hunter used to say, which is an axium that
cannot be disputed, there is only one way in which a diffi-
culty existing between man and man can be truly settled,
and that is when they get together and settle it between
them. The courts cannot settle troubles between me and
my brother.— Oct, C. R., 1916, pp. 6, 7.

Let Us Live Our Religion. I will say now to all of
the Latter-day Saints, Let us live our religion ; let us pay our
tithing and be blessed; let us remember the poor and the
needy, and sustain and help them; let us visit the sick and
afflicted, and administer consolation unto them; let us help
the weak ; let us do all in our power to build up Zion, to es-
tablish righteousness in the earth, and to plant in the hearts
of the people the glorious truth that Jesus is the Christ, the
Redeemer of the world, that Joseph Smith is a prophet of
the living God, whom the Lord raised up in these last days
to restore the everlasting gospel and the power of the holy
priesthood to the world.— Or?. C. R., 1902, p. 88.

Let Us Be True to the Faith. We should set an ex-
ample; we should be true to the faith, as Brother Stephens
sings' to us ; true to the faith I We should be true to our cov-
enants, true to our God, and true to one another, and to
the interests of Zion, no matter what the consequences may
be. no matter what may result. I can tell you that the man

MANY DUTIES OF MAN 323

who is not true to Zion and to the interests of the people
will be the man who will be found, bye and bye, left out
and in a pitiable spiritual condition. The man who stays
with the kingdom of God, the man who is true to this peo-
ple, the man who keeps himself pure and unspotted from the
world, is the man that God will accept, that God will uphold,
that he will sustain, and that will prosper in the land, whether
he be in the enjoyment of his liberty or be confined in prison
cells, it makes no difference where he is, he will come out
all right.— Oct. C. R., 1906, p. 9.

Church Duties are Paramount. Our duties in the
Church should be, I think, paramount to every other interest
in the world. It is true that we are under the necessity of
looking after our worldly interests. It is, of course, neces-
sary for us to labor with our hands, and oui minds, in our
various occupations for obtaining the necessaries of life. It
is essential that the Latter-day Saints should be industrious
and persevering in all the labors that devolve upon them, for
it is written that "the inhabitants of Zion shall remember
their labors, inasmuch as they are appointed to labor, in all
faithfulness; for the idler shall be had in remembrance be-
fore the Lord." Again it is written: "Let every man be
diligent in all things. And the idler shall not have place in
the Church, except he repents and mends his ways." Again :
"Thou shalt not be idle; for he that is idle shall not eat the
bread nor wear the garments of the laborer." But in all
our labors in life, in all the cares that beset us, and the tem-
poral responsibilities that rest upon us, we should put upper-
most in our thoughts, and highest in our appreciation and
love, the cause of Zion, which is indeed the cause of truth
and righteousness. — Oct. C. R. y 1907, p. 2. See Doc. and
Cov. 42:42; 68:30; 75:29.

We Should Study the Gospel. I believe it is good
to seek knowledge out of the best books, to learn the his-
tories of nations, to be able to comprehend the purposes of

324 GOSPEL DOCTRINE

God with reference to the nations of the earth ; and I be-
lieve that one of the most important things, and perhaps more
important to us than studying the history of the world, is
that we study and become thoroughly acquainted with the
principles of the gospel, that they may be established in our
hearts and souls, above all other things, to qualify us to go
out into the world to preach and teach them. We may know
all about the philosophy of the ages and the history of the
nations of the earth ; we may study the wisdom and knowl-
edge of man and get all the information that we can ac-
quire in a lifetime of research and study, "but all of it put
together will never qualify any one to become a minister
of the gospel unless he has the knowledge and spirit of the
first principles of the gospel of Jesus Christ. — Apr. C. R. }
1915, p. 138.

Encourage Singing. It delights my heart to see our
little children learning to sing, and to see the people, our
people everywhere, improving their talents as good singers.
Everywhere we go among our people, we find sweet voices
and talent for music. I believe that this is a manifestation
to us of the purpose of the Lord in this direction toward our
people, that they will excel in these things, as they should
excel in every other good thing. — Apr. C. R., Sunday School,
1904, p. 81.

Cultivate Singing. I can remember when I was a lit-
tle boy, hearing my father sing. I do not know how much
of a singer he was, for at that time I was not capable of
judging as to the quality of his singing, but the hymns he
sang became familiar to me, even in the days of my child-
hood. I believe that I can sing them still, although I am not
much of a singer. When young men go out into the world
to preach the gospel, they will find it very beneficial for
them to know how to sing the songs of Zion. I repeat the
admonition and request made by Brother McMurrin, who

MANY DUTIES OF MAN . 325

has recently returned from a lengthy mission to Europe,
that the young men who are eligible to preach the gospel,
and who are likely to be called into the missionary field,
begin at once to improve their talent to sing, and do not
think it is beneath their dignity to join the choirs of the
wards in which they live and learn how to sing. When we
listen to this choir, under the leadership of Brother Stephens,
we listen to music, and music is truth. Good music is gra-
cious praise of God. It is delightsome to the ear, and it is
one of our most acceptable method's of worshiping God.
And those who sing in this choir and in all the choirs of the
Saints, should sing with the spirit and with the understand-
ing. They should not sing merely because it is a profes-
sion, or because they have a good voice; but they should
sing also because they have the spirit of it and can enter
into the spirit of prayer and praise to God who gave them
their sweet voices. My soul is always lifted up, and my
spirit cheered and' comforted, when I hear good music. I
rejoice in it very much indeed. — Oct. C. R. } 1899, pp. 68, 69.
Be Free From Debt. One of these subjects is, that in
the time of prosperity, which we are now enjoying, it is high-
ly proper for the Latter-day Saints to get out of debt. I
have unceasingly urged this thought upon the brethren for
the past year or more. Wherever I have had the opportu-
nity of speaking, I have scarcely ever forgotten to hold out
to the people the necessity — that I feel, at least — of our set-
tling our obligations and freeing ourselves from debt in the
day of prosperity. Our experience in the years that have
passed must have led us to the conclusion that we have pe-
riods of prosperity, followed by periods of depression. We
have now had a long period of success and prosperity, and
we may expect, almost at any time, to see these conditions
change and a time of depression spread over the land and
over the people. I would say, in connection with this sub-
ject, that one of the best ways that I know of to pay my

326 GOSPEL DOCTRINE

obligations to my brother, my neighbor, or business associ-
ate, is for me first to pay my obligations to the Lord. I can
pay more of my debts to my neighbors, if I have contracted
them, after I have met my honest obligations with the Lord,
than I can by neglecting the latter; and you can do the
same. If you desire to prosper, and to be free men and
women and a free people, first meet your just obligations
to God, and then meet your obligations to your fellowmen.
Bishop Hunter used to put the matter in these words:
''Brethren, pay your tithing and be blessed/' and that is just
what I mean.— Apr. C. R., 1903, p. 2.

What the Lord Requires of His Saints. There is
a circumstance recorded in the Scriptures, that has been
brought forcibly to my mind while listening to the remarks
of the elders who have spoken to us during conference. A
young man came to Jesus and asked what good thing he
should do that he might have eternal life. Jesus said unto
him, "Keep the commandments. " The young man asked
which of them. Then Jesus enumerated to him some of the
commandments that he was to keep — he should not murder,
nor commit adultery, nor steal, nor bear false witness, but
he should honor his father and mother, and love his neigh-
bor as himself, etc. Said the young man, "All these I have
kept from my youth up : what lack I yet ?'' Jesus said, "If
thou wilt be perfect, go and sell that thou hast, and give to
the poor, and thou shalt have treasure in heaven : and come
and follow me." And we are told that he turned away sor-
rowful, because he had great possessions. He would not
hearken to, nor obey the law of God in this matter. Not
that Jesus required of the young man to go and sell all that
he possessed and give it away ; that is not the principle in-
volved. The great principle involved is that which the elders
of Israel are endeavoring to enforce upon the minds of the
Latter-day Saints today. 'When the young man turned away
in sorrow, Jesus said to his disciples, "A rich man

MANY DUTIES OF MAN 327

shall hardly enter into the kingdom of heaven." (See Matt.
19:16-23.)

Is this because the rich man is rich ? No. May not the
rich man, who has the light of God in his heart, who pos-
sesses the principle and .spirit of truth, and who understands
the principle of God's government and law in the world, en-
ter into the kingdom of heaven as easily, and be as accept-
able there as the poor man may? Precisely. God is not a
respecter of persons. The rich man may enter into the
kingdom of heaven as freely as the poor, if he will bring his
heart and affections into subjection to the law of God and
to the principle of truth; if he will place his affections upon
God, his heart upon the truth, and his soul upon the accom-
plishment of God's purposes, and not fix his affections and
his hopes upon the things of the world. Here is the diffi-
culty, and this was the difficulty with the young man. He
had great possessions, and he preferred to rely upon his
wealth rather than forsake all and follow Christ. If he had
possessed the spirit of truth in his heart to have known the
will of God, and to have loved' the Lord with all his heart
and his neighbor as himself, he would have said to the Lord,
"Yea, Lord, I will do as you require, I will go and sell all
that I have, and give it to the poor." If he had had it in his
heart to do this, that alone might have been sufficient, and
the demand would probably have stopped there; for un-
doubtedly the Lord did not deem it essential for him to go
and give his riches away, or to sell his possessions and give
the proceeds away, in order that he might be perfect, for that,
in a measure, would have been improvident. Yet, if it had
required all this to test him and to prove him, to see whether
he loved the Lord with all his heart, mind, and strength, and
his neighbor as himself, then he ought to have been will-
ing to do it ; and if he had been, he would have lacked noth-
ing, and would have received the gift of eternal life, which is
the greatest gift of God, and which can be received on no

328 GOSPEL DOCTRINE

other principle than the one mentioned by Jesus to the
young man. If you will read the sixth lecture on faith,
in the book of Doctrine and Covenants, you will learn that no
man can obtain the gift of eternal life unless he is willing
to sacrifice all earthly things in order to obtain it. We can-
not do this so long as our affections are fixed upon the world.

It is true that we are in a measure of the earth, earthy ;
we belong to the world. Our affections and our souls are
here ; our treasures are here, and where the treasure is there
the heart is. But if we will lay up our treasures in heaven;,
if we will wean our affections from the things of this world,
and say to the Lord our God, "Father, not my will, but thine
be done," then may the will of God be clone on earth as it is
done in heaven, and the kingdom of God in its power and
glory will be established upon the earth. Sin and Satan will
be bound and banished from the earth, and not until we at-
tain to this condition of mind and faith will this be- done.

. Then let the Saints unite; let them hearken to the
voices of the servants of God that are sounded in their ears ;
let them hearken to their counsels and give heed to the
truth ; let them seek their own salvation, for, so far as I am
concerned, I am so selfish that I am seeking after my salva-
tion, and I know that I can find it only in obedience to the
laws of God, in keeping the commandments, in performing
works of righteousness, following in the footsteps of our
file leader, Jesus the Exemplar and the Head of all. He is
the way of life, he is the Light of the world, he is the Door
by which we must enter, in order that we may have a place
with him in the celestial kingdom of God. — Journal of Dis-
courses, Vol. 18, 1877, pp. 133-135; Oct. C. R., 1875.

Cultivate Gratitude. We are almost daily put under
obligations to one another, especially to friends and acquain-
tances, and the sense of obligation creates within us feel-
ings of thankfulness and appreciation which we call grati-
tude. The spirit of gratitude is always pleasant and satis-

MANY DUTIES OF MAN 329

fying because it carries with it a sense of helpfulness to
others; it begets love and friendship, and engenders divine
influence. Gratitude is said to be the memory of the heart.

And where there is an absence of gratitude, either to
God or man, there is the presence of vanity and the spirit
of self-sufficiency. Speaking of Israel, Paul says : "Be-
cause that, when they knew God, they glorified him not as
God, neither were thankful ; but became vain in their imag-
inations, and their foolish heart was darkened" (Rom. 1 :21).

Thomas Gibbons expresses in verse most beautifully the
idea of ingratitude :

"That man may last, but never lives,
Who much receives, but nothing gives ;
Whom none can love, whom none can thank,
Creation's blot, creation's blank."

Naturally people feel grateful to those who have
done them a kindness, and the feeling of gratitude is gen-
erally a sufficient compensation for those who have done a
kind and unselfish act. But when one does a favor for an-
other, and behind that favor is the secret and selfish intent
that the gratitude which is awakened by the favor shall be-
come a debt which the receiver at some time and in some
way must repay to the selfish needs of the one who be-
stowed the favor, then gratitude becomes a debt which it
is expected will be paid.

An act of apparent kindness can never result in good
when it is intended to put any man under obligations that
deprive him of his freedom to act. That is the characteristic
of a politician. It is buying up one's freedom, and such a
bargain is worse upon the man who seeks to make it than
Shylock's contract for a pound of flesh.

When we win the friendship of others, because that
friendship is helpful and encouraging to us, and because we
need it for our happiness in life, gratitude of others toward

330 GOSPEL DOCTRINE

us has a beautiful and lasting charm. That is the gratitude
which Saints enjoy.

It is always safer and better to enjoy the gratitude
which we feel to others than to set store upon the gratitude
which we think others should have toward us. The grate-
ful man sees so much in the world to be thankful for, and
with him the good outweighs the evil. Love overpowers
jealousy, and light drives darkness out of his life. Pride
destroys our gratitude and sets up selfishness in its place.
How much happier we are in the presence of a grateful and
loving soul, and how careful we should be to cultivate,
through the medium of a prayerful life, a thankful attitude
toward God and man ! — Juvenile Instructor } Vol. 38, April,
1903, pp. 242, 243.

Backbiting. In a letter recently received by me, the
following request and" question were submitted' for my
opinion : "I would like you to define backbiting. There seems
to be a difference of opinion respecting the meaning of the
term. Some claim that so long as you speak the truth
about a person, it is not backbiting, no matter what you say
or how you say it. Would it not be better if we knew a
person had faults, to go to him privately and labor with him,
than to go to others and speak of his faults ?"

Nothing could be farther from the spirit and genius of
the gospel than to suppose that we are always justified in
speaking the truth about a person, however harmful the
truth to him may be. The gospel teaches us the funda-
mental principle of repentance, and we have no right to dis-
credit a man in the estimation of his fellow^men when he has
truly repented and" God has forgiven him. We are con-
stantly beset by temptation, and often say and do things
of which we immediately repent, and no doubt, if our re-
pentance is genuine, it is always acceptable to our heavenly
Father. After he has accepted the contrition of the human
heart and forgiven men their trespasses, it is dangerous for

MANY DUTIES OF MAN 331

us to hold up their evil deeds for the contempt of the world.

As a rule, it is not necessary to be constantly offering
advice to those who in our judgment are possessed of some
fault. In the first place, our judgments may be in error;
and in the second place, we may be dealing with a man who
is strongly imbued with the spirit of repentance, and who,
conscious of his weakness, is constantly struggling to over-
come it. The utmost care, therefore, should be observed
in all our language that implies a reproach of others. As
a general rule, backbiting is better determined by the spirit
and purpose that actuate us in speaking of things we consider
faults in others than in the words themselves. A man or
woman who possesses the Spirit of God will soon detect in
his or her own feelings the spirit of backbiting, as that spirit
is present in the remarks that are made concerning others.
The question of backbiting, therefore, is probably best deter-
mined by the ancient rule, "That the letter killeth and the
spirit giveth life." — Juvenile Instructor, October 15, 1904,
Vol. 39, p. 625.

Do Not Inflict Wounds, But Heal Wounds. Al-
most anyone can inflict a wound. It may be made by a
word, a slight, or by general conduct. But the healing of a
wound is an art not acquired by practice alone, but by the
loving tenderness that comes from universal good will and
a sympathetic interest in the welfare and happiness of oth-
ers. If people were always as ready to administer kindness
as they are indifferent to the pain of others — if they were
as patient to heal as they are quick to wound — many an
unkind word would never be spoken, many a slight would
be avoided. The art of healing is really one of the highest
qualities and attributes of man; it is a characteristic of a
great and noble soul; the sure indication of generous im-
pulse.

In the discipline of the home, of the school, and social
life, the infliction of wounds may be unavoidable, if they be

332 GOSPEL DOCTRINE

not an actual necessity; but wounds should never be left
open to fester — they should be bound up and cared for until
they are healed. Perhaps the most perfect ideal in the art
of healing is the mother whose tender and gracious love
asserts itself in taking away the sting of a deserved or un-
deserved punishment. How her love heals every wound!
How quick her caresses bind up and soothe! The example
of her" life is the wisdom which love teaches. In the school,
children may suffer humiliation into which their wayward
or careless conduct has brought them, and their punish-
ment may be just ; but their wounds the teacher should never
leave unhealed. Nature wounds us when we violate her
laws ; but nature has her antiseptic methods of treating and
healing every wound. The wise teacher has his also.

The cultivation of kindly thoughts and sentiments to-
wards others is always helpful in the art of healing. It is
sometimes helpful to lift ourselves out of our own shells in
which, by our surroundings and habits of thought, we are
incrusted, and place ourselves in the positions which others
occupy in life. Constant consideration for the welfare and
happiness of others is every day imposed upon us by the
divine injunction, "Thou shalt love thy neighbor as thyself."

The test, then, of our soul's greatness is rather to be
sought in our ability to comfort and console, our ability to
help others, rather than in our ability to help ourselves and
crowd others down in the struggle of life. If the reader
will stop a moment to reflect upon the healing qualities of
Christ's life, he will understand that Christ was a Master in
the art of healing, not alone of the wounds he made, but
of self-inflicted wounds and the wounds that others made.
What a comfort his life is to those in sorrow! How in-
stinctively our thoughts turn to him ! How prone we are to
go to him for consolation ! He is truly the great Healer of the
afflictions of others. — Juvenile Instructor, March, 1903, Vol.
38, pp. 178, 179.

MANY DUTIES OF MAN 333

Use Good Language. Language, like thought, makes
its impression and is recalled by the memory in a way that
may be unpleasant if not harmful to those who have been
compelled to listen to unseemly words. Thoughts that in
themselves are not improper may be exalted or debased by
the language used to express them. If inelegant expres-
sions should be eschewed, what shall be said of profanity?
— Juvenile Instructor, May 1, 1906, Vol. 41, p. 272.

Do Not Destroy Life Wantonly. I have just a few
words to say in addition to those that have already been said,
in relation to shedding blood and to the destruction of life.
I think that every soul should be impressed by the senti-
ments that have been expressed here this evening by all who
have spoken, and not less with reference to the killing of our
innocent birds, natives of our country, who live upon the ver-
min that are indeed enemies to the farmer and to mankind.
It is not only wicked to destroy them, it is abominable, in
my opinion. I think that this principle should extend, not
only to the bird life, but to the life of all animals. When I
visited, a few years ago, the Yellowstone National Park, and
saw in the streams and' the beautiful lakes, birds swimming
quite fearless of man, allowing passers-by to approach them
as closely almost as tame birds, and apprehending no fear
of them, and when I saw droves of beautiful deer herding
along the side of the road, as fearless of the presence of men
as any domestic animal, it filled my heart with a degree of
peace and joy that seemed to be almost a foretaste of that
period hoped for when there shall be none to hurt and none
to molest in all the land, especially among all the inhabitants
of Zion. These same birds, if they were to visit other re-
gions, inhabited by man, would, on account of their tame-
ness, doubtless become more, easily a prey to the gunner.
The same may be said of those beautiful creatures — the deer
and antelope. If they should wander out of the park, be-
yond the protection that is established there for these ani-

334 GOSPEL DOCTRINE

mals, they would become, of course, an easy prey to those
who were seeking their lives. I never could &ee why a man
should be imbued with a blood-thirsty desire to kill and de-
stroy animal life. I have known men — and they still exist
among us — who enjoy what is, to them, the "sport" of hunt-
ing birds and slaying them by the hundreds, and who will
come in after a day's sport, boasting of how many harmless
birds they have had the skill to slaughter, and day after day,
during the season when it is lawful for men to hunt and kill
(the birds having had a season of protection and not appre-
hending danger) go out by scores or hundreds, and you may
hear their guns early in the morning on the day of the open-
ing, as if great armies had met in battle; and the terrible
work of slaughtering the innocent birds goes on.

I do not believe any man should kill animals or birds
unless he needs them for food, and then he should not kill
innocent little birds that are not intended for food for man.
I think it is wicked for men to thirst in their souls to kill
almost everything which possesses animal life. It is wrong,
and I have been surprised at prominent men whom I have
seen whose very souls seemed to be athirst for the shedding
of animal blood. They go off hunting deer, antelope, elk,
anything they can find, and what for? "just f° r tne ^ un °f
it!" Not that they are hungry and need the flesh of their
prey, but just because they love to shoot and to destroy life.
I am a firm believer, with reference to these things, in the
simple words of one of the poets :

"Take not away the life you cannot give,
For all things have an equal right to live."
—Juvenile Instructor, April, 1913, Vol. 48, pp. 308-309.

Commencement Address. The point which seems the
most perspicuous, and which will appear with greatest force
to your minds, no doubt, on this occasion, is that it should
have a speedy ending. Not so, however, with the efforts of
those students who graduate with honors from this college,

MANY DUTIES OF MAN 335

today. Before them lies a strange, meandering, endless path,
by them as yet untrodden, however well beaten by the weary
feet of pilgrims who have passed over to the great beyond.
This path is fraught with all there is in life, of good or ill
to them. They are entering upon the great problem of life,
and each will be compelled to solve that problem for himself.
The problem of death — which is spiritual midnight — the un-
enlightened soul — will solve itself. As the stream flows nat-
urally down the slope to the dead waters of our inland' sea,
so is the common trend of the natural man down to the
dark valley of the shadows of death. He needs to make no
effort to reach this goal; by lazily floating on the tide of
common events, he will reach it all too soon. But, to the
fountain of life, to the summit of existence, to the fulness
of moral, religious and intellectual manhood, the finger board
of truth points eternally up the stream. To reach this glo-
rious fountain, to scale this magnificent height, one must
work; he must stem the current, must climb the hill — must
climb and work and persevere. Thus he will succeed.

It is a very important thing to make a commencement
in life. It is no less important to make that commencement
upon a. sound and proper footing. A man going to the sum-
mit of Twin Peaks, which tower towards the heavens on the
southeast of us, will have a long, weary journey before he
reaches his destination. Although not far away at first, if he
starts off toward the northwest, the longer he continues
in that direction the further he goes from his objective point.
True, he may circumscribe the earth and, if he keep the
proper bearings, will come back to the point at last. But
eternity is a wondrous globe to circumnavigate, and we will
find it to our advantage not to undertake the feat when we
can so easily avoid it by commencing as we should. Error
is a worthless and an injurious thing. To avoid it should
always be our careful study. Mistakes, if they are indeed
mistakes, are never fortunate, and may be extremely painful

336 GOSPEL DOCTRINE

and hard to rectify. But the sooner rectified the better. It
is braver and more honorable to promptly disavow and fly
from error, no matter what the present seeming cost, or to
frankly acknowledge a mistake, and apologize for it, and
thus get rid of it, than to crouch beneath the burden, which
is moral cowardice.

The students now graduating from this school in the
branches of education which they have taken, are ready to
commence the application of the knowledge they have ac-
quired to the practical duties of life. You may apply this
knowledge to the development of the natural resources and
prosperity of our country, or to the betterment of the social
problems of the times in which you live, or you may apply it
to the further intellectual development of yourselves and
others. That which you have gained by study and the as-
sistance of your teachers should be wisely used by you as an
aid to the attainment of other and greater knowledge.

Whatever may be your course in the future, or your
choice of occupation, always remember the grand scriptural
injunction : "Whatsoever thy hand findeth to do, do it with
thy might ; for there is no work, nor device, nor knowledge,
nor wisdom, in the grave, w T hither thou goest." (Ec. 9:10.)
This scripture applies directly to the temporal life and death,
and only to them. Whatever is worth doing at all, should be
well and faithfully and thoroughly done. The failures occur-
ring in the legitimate pursuits of life, resulting solely from
the unprofitableness thereof, are few and far between. The
vast majority of failures are the results of neglect, or of
want of careful attention, or of ignorance, or of dishonesty
on the part of the applicants, and not of the business itself.

Carefully select your occupation with a view to your
qualifications or adaptability therefor; let it be worthy of
the noblest ambition and purest desire, and then engage in
it in earnest, put your heart into it, and your mind upon it,
with due consideration to other essential things, until you

MANY DUTIES OF MAN 337

succeed. All extremes should be avoided. To fix the heart
and mind upon a single object, however good, and close the
eyes to all else in life, may make an expert, a bigot, or a crank,
but never a wise and broad-minded* man. It is foolish to be-
come too much absorbed in material things. Labor and re-
laxation should go hand in hand, and pure and undefiled
religion will lighten every burden you, have, to bear, and help
to sweeten the bitter draught of many a sorrowing soul. The
proper admixture of labor and leisure will not only promote
the highest mental capabilities, but also the most perfect
physical conditions.

Man is a dual being. He is spiritual and he is phys-
ical. The latter is dependent upon the former for intelli-
gence and life. The body without the spirit is dead, but the
spirit is an immortal and an independent principle and be-
ing. It is the more important part, yet man bestows more
thought and labor upon the body, as a rule, than upon the
better part. Neither should be neglected, least of all, the
spiritual. This is truth, and it is the truth that makes man
free. By it they stand, without it they fall.

The Great Teacher of the world has said, "If ye con-
tinue in my word, then are ye my disciples indeed; and ye
shall know the truth, and the truth shall make you free."
(John 8:31-2.) Again: "And truth is knowledge of things as
they are, and as they were, and as they are to come. ,J (Doc.
and Cov. 93:24.)

This knowledge of truth, combined with proper regard
for it, and its faithful observance, constitutes true education.
The mere stuffing of the mind with a knowledge of facts is
not education. The mind must not only possess a knowl-
edge of truth, but the soul must revere it, cherish it, love
it as a priceless gem; and this human life must be guided
and shaped by it in order to fulfil its destiny. The mind
should not only be charged with intelligence, but the soul
should be filled with admiration and desire for pure intelli-

23

338 GOSPEL DOCTRINE

gence which comes of a knowledge of the truth. The truth
can only make him free who hath it, and will continue in it.
And the word of God is truth, and it will endure forever.

Educate yourself not only for time, but also for eternity.
The latter of the two is the more important. Therefore,
when we shall have completed the studies of time, and enter
upon the commencement ceremonies of the great hereafter,
we will find our work is not finished, but just begun, we may
then say with the poet:

"Lay this aside — say not your work is done,
No need of love or goodness ever dies,
But in the lives of others multiplies,
Say it has just begun. "

In conclusion permit me to repeat a portion of the first
psalm; "Blessed is the man that walketh not in the counsel
of the ungodly, nor standeth in the way of sinners, nor sit-
teth in the seat of the scornful. But his delight is in the
law of the Lord; and in his law doth he meditate day and
night. And he shall be like a tree planted by the rivers of
water, that bringeth forth his fruit in his season; his leaf
also shall not wither; and whatsoever he doeth shall pros-
per. The ungodly are not so : but are like the chaff which
the wind driveth away." — Contributor, Vol. 16, pp. 569-
671. Delivered at the commencement exercises of the Lat-
ter-day Saints College, Salt Lake City, June 5, 1895.

Our Main Purpose of Life. The important consid-
eration is not how long we can live but how well we can
learn the lessons of life, and discharge our duties and obli-
gations to God and to each other. One of the main pur-
poses of our existence is that we might conform to the im-
age and likeness of him who sojourned in the flesh without
blemish — immaculate, pure, and spotless! Christ came not
only to atone for the sins of the world, but to set an exam-
ple before all men and to establish the standard of God's

MANY D UTIES OF MAN 339

perfection, of God's law, and of obedience to the Father. —
Improvement Era, Vol. 21, p. 104, December, 1917.

How to Love Your Neighbor. Love your neighbor
as yourself? How are you to do it? If your neighbor is in
danger, protect him to the utmost of your power. If you
see your neighbor's property in danger of injury, protect
his property as you would your own, as far as it lies in your
power. If your neighbor's boy or girl is going astray, go
directly to your neighbor, in the spirit of love, and help him
to reclaim his child. How are we to love our neighbor as
we love ourselves? It is the simplest thing in the world;
but too many people are selfish and narrow and not given
to that breadth of feeling which reaches out and considers
the benefit and welfare of their neighbors ; and they narrow
themselves down to their own peculiar and particular benefit
and blessing and well being, and feel to say: "O, let my
neighbor take care of himself/' That is not the spirit that
should characterize a Latter-day Saint. — Improvement Era,
Vol. 21, pp. 103, 104, December, 1917.

Question of Church Leaders. We have come to ask
you if you are in strict accord with the two great com-
mandments : "Thou shalt love the Lord thy God with all
thy heart, and with all thy soul, and with all thy mind, *
* * and thy neighbor as thyself." — Improvement Era, Vol.
21, p. 98, December, 1917; Matt. 22:34-40.

The Sin of Ingratitude, And I believe that one of
the greatest sins of which the inhabitants of the earth are
guilty today is the sin of ingratitude, the want of acknowl-
edgment, on their part, of God and his right to govern and
control. We see a man raised up with extraordinary gifts,
or with great intelligence, and he is instrumental in devel-
oping some great principle. He and the world' ascribe his
great genius and wisdom to himself. He attributes his suc-
cess to his own energies, labor and mental capacity. He
does not acknowledge the hand of God in anything con-

340 GOSPEL DOCTRINE

nected with his success, but ignores him altogether and
takes the honor to himself ; this will apply to almost all the
world. In all the great modern discoveries in science, in the
arts, in mechanics, and in all the material advancement of
the age, the world say, "We have done it." The individual
says, "I have done it," and he gives no honor or credit to
God. Now, I read in the revelations through Joseph Smith,
the prophet, that because of this, God is not pleased with the
inhabitants of the earth, but is angry with them because
they will not acknowledge his* hand in all things. — Deseret
Weekly News, 1884, Vol. 33, p. 130; Doc. and Cov. 59:21.

CHAPTER XVI
Marriage, the Home and the Family

Necessity of Marriage. The house of the Lord is a
house of order and not a house of confusion ; and that means
that the man is not without the woman in the Lord, neither
is the woman without the man in the Lord ; and that no man
can be saved and exalted in the kingdom of God without
the woman, and no woman can reach the perfection and ex-
altation in the kingdom of God alone. That is what it
means. God instituted marriage in the beginning. He
made man in his own image and likeness, male and female,
and in their creation it was designed that they should be
united together in sacred bonds of marriage, and one is not
perfect without the other. Furthermore, it means that there
is no union for time and eternity that can be perfected
outside of the law of God and the order of his house. Men
may desire it, they may go through the form of it in this life,
but it will be of no effect except it be done and sanctioned
by divine authority, in the name of the Father and of the
Son and of the Holy Ghost.— Apr. C. R., 1913, pp. 118- 119.
' Marriage, God-ordained and Sanctioned. "And
again, I say unto you, that whoso forbiddeth to marry is not
ordained of God, for marriage is ordained of God unto
man" (Doc. and Cov. 49:15).

I desire to emphasize this. I want the young men of
Zion to realize that this institution of marriage is not a man-
made institution. It is of God. It is honorable, and no man
who is of marriageable age is living his religion who remains
single. It is not simply devised for the convenience alone
of man, to suit his own notions, and his own ideas ; to mar-
ry and then divorce, to adopt and then to discard, just as he
pleases. There are great consequences connected with it,
consequences which reach beyond this present time, *r?to "11

342 GOSPEL DOCTRINE

eternity, for thereby souls are begotten into the world, and
men and women obtain their being in the world. Marriage
is the preserver of the human race. Without it, the pur-
poses of God would be frustrated ; virtue would be destroyed
to give place to vice and corruption, and the earth would be
void and empty.

Neither are the relationships that exist, or should ex-
ist, between parents and children, and between children and
parents, of an ephemeral nature, nor of a temporal character.
They are of eternal consequence, reaching beyond the veil,
in spite of all that we can do. The man, and the woman
who are the agents, in the providence of God, to bring liv-
ing souls into the world, are made before God and the heav-
ens, as responsible for these acts as is God himself responsi-
ble for the works of his own hands, and for the revelations
of his own wisdom. The man and the woman who engage in
this ordinance of matrimony are engaging in something that
is of such far-reaching character, and" is of such vast im-
portance, that thereby hangs life and death, and eternal
increase. Thereupon depends eternal happiness, or eternal
misery. For this reason, God has guarded this sacred insti-
tution by the most severe penalties, and has declared that
whosoever is untrue to the marriage relation, whosoever is
guilty of adultery, shall be put to death. This is scriptural
law, though it is not practiced today, because modern civili-
zation does -not recognize the laws of God in relation to the
moral status of mankind. The Lord commanded, "Whoso-
ever sheddeth innocent blood, by man shall his blood be
shed/' Thereby God has given the law. Life is an im-
portant thing. No man has any right to take life, unless
God commanded it. The law of God as to violation of the
marriage covenant is just as strict, and is on a parallel with
the law against murder, notwithstanding the former is not
carried out. * * *

Now, every young person throughout the Church should

MARRIAGE, THE HOME AND FAMILY 343

understand this very thoroughly. The Church authorities
and the teachers of our associations should inculcate the sa-
credness, and teach the duty of marriage, as it has been re-
vealed in the latter days to us. There should be a reform
in the Church in this regard, and a sentiment created in
favor of honorable marriage, and that would prevent any
young man, or any young woman, who is a member of the
Church, from marrying except by that authority which is
sanctioned of God. And no man holding the priesthood who
is worthy and of age should remain unmarried. They should
also teach that the law of chastity is one of most vital im-
portance, both to children, and to men and to women. It is a
vitally important principle to the children of God in all their
lives, from the cradle to the grave. God has fixed dreadful
penalties against the transgression of his law of chastity, of
virtue, of purity. When the law of God shall be in force
among men, they will be cut off who are not absolutely pure
and unsoiled and spotless — both men and women. We ex-
pect the women to be pure, we expect them to be spotless
and without a blemish, and it is as necessary and important
for man to be pure and virtuous as for woman ; indeed, no
woman would ever be other than pure if men were so. The
gospel of Jesus Christ is the law of love, and love of God
with the whole heart and mind is the greatest commandment,
and the next is like unto it: love thy neighbor as thyself.
This also should be remembered in the marriage relation,
for, while it is said that the desires of the woman shall be
to her husband, and he shall rule over her, it is intended that
that rule shall be in love and not in tyranny. God never
rules tyrannically, except when men so corrupt themselves
that they are unfit to live. Then, and under such conditions,
it is the story of all his dealings with mankind, that he sends
judgments upon them and wipes them out and destroys
them. — Improvement Era, July, 1902, pp. 713-17.

Righteousness and Necessity of Marriage. Many

344 GOSPEL DOCTRINE

people imagine that there is something sinful in marriage;
there is an apostate tradition to that effect. This is a false
and very harmful idea. On the contrary, God not only com-
mends but he command's marriage. While man was yet im-
mortal, before sin had entered the world, our heavenly
Father himself performed the first marriage. He united our
first parents in the bonds of holy matrimony, and commanded
them to be fruitful and multiply and replenish the earth.
This command he has never changed, abrogated or annulled ;
but it has continued in force throughout all the generations
of mankind.

Without marriage the purposes of God would be frus-
trated so far as this world is concerned, for there would be
none to obey his other commands.

There appears to be a something beyond and above the
reasons apparent to the human mind why chastity brings
strength and power to the peoples of the earth, but it is so.

Today a flood of iniquity is overwhelming the civ-
ilized world. One great reason therefor is the neglect of
marriage; it has lost its sanctity in the eyes of the great
majority. It is at best a civil contract, but more often an
accident or a whim, or a means of gratifying the passions.*
And when the sacredness of the covenant is ignored or lost
sight of, then a disregard of the marriage vows, under the
present moral training of the masses, is a mere triviality, a
trifling indiscretion.

The neglect of marriage, this tendency to postpone its
responsibilities \intil middle life, that so perniciously affects
Christendom, is being felt in the midst of the Saints.

Certainly we are not in favor of the very early mar-
riages that prevailed a few centuries ago.

But what we wish to impress upon the Saints is that
the legitimate union of the sexes is a law of God, that to
be blessed of him, we must honor that law ; that if we do not
do so the mere fact that we are called by his name will not

MARRIAGE, THE HOME AND FAMILY 345

save us from the evils that neglect of this law entails, that
indeed we are only his people when we observe his laws ; that
when we do not do so we may expect the same unfortunate
rsults to come upon us as flow to the rest of humanity from
the same causes.

We believe that every man holding the holy priesthood
should be married, with the very few exceptions of those
who through infirmities of mind or body are not fit for mar-
riage. Every man is a worse man in proportion as he is un-
fit for the married state. We hold that no man who is mar-
riageable is fully living his religion who remains unmarried.
He is doing a wrong to himself by retarding his progress,
by narrowing his experiences, and to society by the unde-
sirable example that he sets to others, as well as he, him-
self, being a dangerous factor in the community.

We say to our young people, get married, and marry
aright. Marry in the faith, and let the ceremony be per-
formed in the place God has appointed. Live so that you
may be worthy of this blessing. If, however, obstacles, not
at present removable, prevent this most perfect form of
marriage, have your bishop perform the ceremony, and then,
at the earliest possible moment, go to the temple. But do
not marry those out of the Church, as such unions almost
invariably lead to unhappiness and quarrels and often
finally to separation. Besides, they are not pleasing in the
sight of heaven. The believer and unbeliever should not be
yoked together, for sooner or later, in time or in eternity,
they must be divided again.

And now we desire with holy zeal to emphasize the
enormity of sexual sins. Though often regarded as insig-
nificant by those not knowing the will of God, they are, in
his eyes, an abomination, and if we are to remain his favored
people they must be shunned as the gates of hell. The evil
results of these sins are so patent in vice, crime, misery and
disease that it would appear that all, young and old, must

346 GOSPEL DOCTRINE

perceive and sense them. They are destroying the world. If
we are to be preserved we must abhor them, shun them, not
practice the least of them, for they weaken and enervate, they
kill man spiritually, they make him unfit for the company of
the righteous and the presence of God. — Juvenile Instructor,
Vol. 37, p. 400, July 1, 1902. '

Male and ^Female Enter Heaven. No man will ever
enter there until he has consummated his mission ; for we
have come here to be conformed to the likeness of God. He
made us in the beginning in his own image and in his own
likeness, and he made us male and female. We never could
be in the image of God if we were not both male and female.
Read the Scriptures, and you will see it for yourselves
as God has said it. He has made us in his own form and
likeness, and here we are, male and female, parents and chil-
dren. And we must become more and more like him — more
like him in love, in charity, in forgiveness, in patience,
longsuffering and forbearance, in purity of thought and
action, in intelligence, and in all respects, that we may be
worthy of exaltation in his presence. It is for this that
we have come to the earth. This is the work that we have
to perform. God has shown us the way and given us the
means by which we may consummate and nil our mission
upon this earth and perfect our destiny ; for we are destined
and foreordained to become like God, and unless we do
become like him we will never be permitted to dwell with
him. When we become like him you will find that we will
be presented before him in the form in which we were
created, male and female. The woman will not go there
alone, and the man will not go there alone, and claim ex-
altation. They may attain a degree of salvation alone, but
when they are exalted they will be exalted according to
the law of the celestial kingdom. They cannot be exalted
in any other way, neither the living nor the dead. It is
well for us to learn something about why we build temples,

MARRIAGE, THE HOME AND FAMILY 347

and why we administer in them for the dead as well as for
the living. We do this that we may become like unto him,
and dwell with him eternally; that we may become sons of
God, heirs of God and joint heirs with Jesus Christ. —
Tabernacle Sermon, June 12, 1898.

Marriage to Replenish the Earth. Those who
have taken upon themselves the responsibility of wedded
life should see to it that they do not abuse, the course of
nature ; that they do not destroy the principle of life within
them, nor violate any of the commandments of God. The
command which he gave in the beginning to multiply and
replenish the earth is still in force upon the children of men.
Possibly no greater sin could be committed by the people
who have embraced this gospel than to prevent or to destroy
life in the manner indicated. We are born into the world
that we may have life, and we live that we may have a
fulness of joy, and if we will obtain a fulness of joy,
we must obey the law of our creation and the law by which
we may obtain the consummation of our righteous hopes and
desires— life eternal.— -Apr. C. R., 1900, p. 40.

Eternal Marriage. Why did he teach us the principle
of eternal union of man and wife? Because God knew that
we were his children here, to remain his children forever
and ever, and that we were just as truly individuals, and
that our individuality- was as identical as that of the Son of
God, and would therefore continue, worlds without end.
So that the man receiving his wife by the power of God,
for time and for all eternity, would have the right to claim
her and she to claim her husband, in the world to come.
Neither would be changed, except from mortality to im-
mortality ; neither would be other than himself or herself,
but they will have their identity in the world to come pre-
cisely as they exercise their individuality and enjoy their
identity here. God has revealed this principle, and it has
its bearings upon the evidence that we possess of the actual,

348 GOSPEL DOCTRINE

literal resurrection of the body, jnst as. it is and as the
prophets have declared it in the Book of Mormon. — Apr.
C. #.,1912 f pp. 136-137 ; Mosiah 15 :20-23 ; 16:7-11 ; Alma 40.

Eternity of the Family Organization. Our
associations (family) are not exclusively intended for this
life, for time, as we distinguish it from eternity. We live
for time and for eternity. We form associations and re-
lations for title and all eternity. Our affections and our
desires are found fitted and prepared to endure not only
throughout the temporal or mortal life, but through all
eternity. Who are there besides the Latter-day Saints who
contemplate the thought that beyond the grave we will con-
tinue in the family organization ? the father, the mother, the
children recognizing each other in the relations which they
owe to each other and in which they stand to each other?
this family organization being a unit in the great and perfect
organization of God's work, and all destined to continue
throughout time and eternity?

We are living for eternity and not merely for the mo-
ment. Death does not part us from one another, if we have
entered into sacred relationships with each other by virtue
of the authority that God has revealed to the children of
men. Our relationships are formed for eternity. We are
immortal beings, and we are looking forward to the growth
that is to be attained in an exalted life" after we have proved
ourselves faithful and true to the covenants that we have
entered into here, and then we will receive a fulness of
joy. A man and woman who have embraced the gospel of
Jesus Christ and who have begun life togther, should be
able by their power, example and influence to cause their
children to emulate them in lives of virtue, honor, and in
integrity to the kingdom of God which will redound to their
own interest and salvation. No one can advise my children
with greater earnestness and solicitude for their happiness
and salvation than I can do myself. Nobody has more

MARRIAGE, THE HOME AND FAMILY 349

interest in the welfare of my own children than I have. I
cannot be satisfied without them. They are part of me.
They are mine ; God has given them to me, and I want them
to be humble and submissive to the requirements of the
gospel. I want them to do right, and to be right in every
particular, so that they will be worthy of the distinction that
the Lord has given them in being numbered among his
covenant people who are choice above all other people, be-
cause they have made sacrifice for their own salvation in the
truth. Speaking of the fashions of the world, I do not care
to say very much on the subject, but I do think that we live
in an age the very trend of which is to vice and wickedness.
I believe that to a very large extent the fashions of the day,
and especially the fashions of women, have a tendency to
evil and not to virtue or modesty, and I deplore that evident
fact, for you see it on every hand. Young men want to
get homes that are palatial, that are fine in all their appoint-
ments, and as modern as anybody else's before they will
get married. I think it is a mistake. I think that young
men and young women, too, should be willing, even at this
day, and in the present condition of things, to enter the
sacred bonds of marriage together and fight their way to-
gether to success, meet their obstacles and their difficulties,
and cleave together to success, and co-operate in their
temporal affairs, so that they shall succeed. Then they will
learn to love, one another better, and will be more united
throughout their lives, and the Lord will bless them more
abundantly. I regret, I think it is a crying evil, that there
should exist a sentiment or a feeling among any members
of the Church to curtail the birth of their children. I think ■
that is a crime wherever it occurs, where husband and wife
are in possession of health and vigor and are free from
impurities that would be entailed upon their posterity. I
believe that where people undertake to curtail or prevent
the birth of their children that they are going to reap

350 GOSPEL DOCTRINE

disappointment by and by. I have no hesitancy in saying
that I believe this is one of the greatest crimes of the world
today, this evil practice. — Relief Society Magazine, Vol 4,
June, 1917, p. 314 et. seq.

Importance of Marriage Within the Church. I
would rather go myself to the grave than to be associated
with a wife outside of the bonds of the new and everlasting
covenant. Now, I hold it just so sacred; but some members
of the Church do not so regard the matter. Some people feel
that it does not make very much difference whether a girl
marries a man in the Church, full of the faith of the gospel,
or an unbeliever. Some of our young people have married
outside the Church, but very few of those who have done
it have failed to come to grief. I would like to see Latter-
day Saint women marry Latter-day Saint men, and Latter-
day Saint men marry Latter-day Saint women; and let
Methodists marry Methodists. Catholics marry Catholics,
and Presbyterians marry Presbyterians, and so on to the
limit. Let them keep within the pale of their own faith
and church, and marry and inter-marry there, and let
the Latter-day Saints do the same thing in their Church;
then we will see who comes out best in the end.— Oct. C
R., 1909, pp. 5, 6.

No Marriage in Heaven. Why did' Jesus teach the
doctrine that there was no marrying, nor giving in marriage
in the other world? Why did he teach the doctrine that
marriage was instituted by the Father and designed to be
accomplished in this life? Why did he rebuke those who
sought to entrap him when they brought to him the example
of the fulfilment of the law of Moses, for Moses wrote
the law that God gave him, that if a man married in Israel
and died without issue, it was the duty of his brother to
take his widow and raise up seed unto his brother; and
when seven of these brothers — (which is doubtless a prob-
lem that these men put to the Savior in order to entrap him

MARRIAGE, THE HOME AND FAMILY 351

if they could) — had taken her, to whom should she belong
in the resurrection, since they all had her? Jesus declared
to them, "Ye do err, not knowing the Scriptures, nor the
power of God." They did not understand the principle of
sealing for time and for all eternity; that what God hath
joined together neither man nor death can put asunder.
(Matt. 19:6) They had wandered from that principle. It
had fallen into disuse among them ; they had ceased to un-
derstand it ; and consequently they did not comprehend the
truth ; but Christ did. She could only be the wife in eternity
of the man to whom she was united by the power of God
for eternity, as well as for time; and Christ understood the
principle, but he did not cast his pearls before the swine that
tempted him.— Apr. C. R. s 1912, p. 136.

Plural Marriage Forbidden. Official Statement —
"Inasmuch as there are numerous reports in circulation
that plural marriages have been entered into contrary to
the official declaration of President Woodruff, of September
26, 1890, commonly called the Manifesto, which was issued
by President Woodruff ancj adopted by the Church at its
general conference, October 6th, 1890, which forbade any
marriages violative of the law of the land; I, Joseph F.
Smith, President of the Church of Jesus Christ of Latter-
day Saints, hereby affirm and declare that no such marriages
have been solemnized with the sanction, consent or knowl-
edge of the Church of Jesus Christ of Latter-day Saints, and

"I hereby announce that all such marriages are pro-
hibited, and if any officer or member of the Church shall
assume to solemnize or enter into any such marriage he
will be deemed in transgression against the Church and will
be liable to be dealt with according to the rules and regu-
lations thereof, and excommunicated therefrom.

"Joseph F. Smith,

"President of the Church of Jesus Christ of Latter-day Saints/'

—Apr., C. R., 1904, p. 75.

352 GOSPEL DOCTRINE

Further Statement. We have announced in previous
conferences, as it was announced by President Woodruff, as
it was announced by President Snow, and as it was re-
announced by me and my brethren, and confirmed by the
Church of Jesus Christ of Latter-day Saints, plural marriages
have ceased in the. Church. There isn't a man today in this
Church, or anywhere else, outside of it, who has authority
to solemnize a plural marriage — not one ! There is no man
or woman in the Church of Jesus Christ of Latter-day Saints
who is authorized to contract a plural marriage. It is not
permitted, and we have been endeavoring to the utmost
of our ability to prevent men from being led by some de-
signing person into an unfortunate condition that is for-
bidden by the conferences, and by the voice of the Church,
a condition that has to some extent at least, brought re-
proach upon the people. I want to say that we have been
doing all in our power to prevent it, or to stop it; and in
order that we might do this, we have been seeking, to our
utmost, to find the men who have been the agents and the
cause of leading people into it. , We find it very difficult to
trace them, but when we do find them, and can prove it
upon them, we will deal with them as we have dealt with
others that we have been able to find. — Apr. C. R., 1911, p. 8.

Marriage and Large Families Desirable. Bachelor-
hood and small families carry to the superficial mind the
idea that they are desirable because they bring with them
the minimum of responsibility. The spirit that shirks
responsibility shirks labor. Idleness and pleasure take the
place of industry and strenuous effort. The love of pleasure
and of an easy life in turn make demands upon young men
who refuse to look upon marriage and its consequent family
enlargement as a sacred duty. The real fault lies with the
young men. The license of the age leads them from paths
of duty and responsibility to the pitfalls of a pleasure-lov-

MARRIAGE, THE HOME AND FAMILY 353

ing world. Their sisters are the victims of neglect and of
a great social and family wrong.

Women would marry if they could, and would accept
cheerfully the responsibilities of family life. This loss to
the home is a loss the nation must feel, as years go on.
Time will vindicate the laws of God and the truth that in-
dividual human happiness is found in duty and not in pleas-
ure and freedom from care.

The spirit of the world is contagious. We cannot live
in the midst of such social conditions without suffering
from the effects of their allurements. Our young people
will be tempted to follow the example of the world about
them. There is already a strong tendency to make sport
of the obligations to marry. Pretexts of ambition are set
up as an excuse to postpone marriage till some special ob-
ject is attained. Some of our leading young men desire
to complete first a course of study at home or abroad. Being
natural leaders in society their example is dangerous, and
the excuse is one of questionable propriety. It were better
far that many such young men never went to college than
that the excuse of college life be made the reason for post-
poning marriage beyond the proper age. — Juvenile Instruc-
tor, Vol. 40, pp. 240, 241, April IS, 1905.

Be True to Your Wives and Children. And oh!
my brethren, be true to your families, be true to your wives
and children. Teach them the way of life. Do not allow
them to get so far from you that they will become oblivious
to you or to any principle of honor, purity or truth. Teach
your children so that they cannot commit sin without viola-
ting their conscience, teach them the truth, that they may
not depart from it. Bring them up in the way they should
go, and when they get old they will not depart from it. If
you will keep your boys close to your heart, within the
clasp of your arms; if you will make them to feel that you^
love them, that you are their parents, that they are your

24

354 GOSPEL DOCTRINE

children, and keep them near to you, they will not go very
far from you, and they will not commit any very great sin.
But it is when you turn them out of the home, turn them
out of your affection — out into the darkness of the night
into the society of the depraved or degraded; it is when
they become tiresome to you, or you are tired of their in-
nocent noise and prattle at home, and you say, "Go off some-
where else, — " it is this sort of treatment of your children
that drives them from you, and helps to make criminals
and infidels of them. You cannot afford to do this. How
would I feel to enter into the kingdom of God — (if such a
thing were possible) and see one of my children outside
among the sorcerers, the whoremongers, and those who love
and make a lie, and that because I have neglected my duty
toward him or have not kept a proper restraint upon him?
Do you think I shall be exalted in the kingdom of my God
with this stain and blot upon my soul ? I tell you, No ! No
man can get there until he atones for such crime as this —
for it is a crime in the sight of God and man for a father
to carelessly or wilfully neglect his children. This is my
sentiment. Take care of your children. They are the hope
of Israel, and upon them will rest, by and by, responsibility
of the bearing of the kingdom of God in the earth. The
Lord bless them and keep them in the path of righteousness,
I humbly pray, in the name of Jesus. Amen. — Apr. C. R.>
1902, p. 87.

Respect the Rights of Others. I sincerely hope
that we shall succeed in impressing upon the minds of the
rising generation a sincere regard, not only for themselves,
to keep themselves pure and unspotted from the world, but
a sincere regard for the rights and privileges of others.
Our children should be taught to respect not only their
fathers and their mothers, and their brothers and sisters, but
they should be taught to respect all mankind, and especially
should they be instructed and taught and brought up to

MARRIAGE, THE HOME AND FAMILY 35.5

honor the aged and the infirm, the unfortunate and the poor,
the needy, and those who lack the sympathies of mankind.

We too frequently see a disposition on the part of our
children to make fun of the unfortunate. A poor cripple,
or a poor weak-minded person comes along, and the boys
will poke fun at him, and make unbecoming remarks about
him. This is entirely wrong, and such a spirit as this should
never be witnessed among the children of the Latter-day
Saints. They ought to be taught better at home. They
should be thoroughly taught better than this in our Sunday
schools, and in all the schools, so far as that is concerned,
that our children attend. Our children should be taught to
venerate that which is holy, that which is sacred. They
should venerate the name of God. They should hold in
sacred veneration the name of the Son of God. They should
not take Their holy names in vain; and they should also
be taught to respect and venerate the temples of God, the
places of worship of their fathers and mothers. Our children
should be taught also that they have rights in the house of
the Lord equal to their parents and equal to their neighbors
or anybody else. It always pains me to see our little ones
disturbed in this right. I witnessed a little circumstance
in our meeting this afternoon in the aisle ; a little child was
sitting by its mother on a seat. Somebody came along and
took the little child off its seat, and occupied the seat him-
self, leaving the child to stand. I want to say to you, my
brethren and sisters, that that act sent a pang to my heart.
I would not, for anything in the shape of remuneration of
a worldly character, grieve the heart of a little child in the
house of God, lest an impression should be left upon its
mind that would make the house of worship a distasteful
place, and it would prefer not to come within its walls, than
to come and be offended. — Juvenile Instructor, Vol 39, p.
657, Semi-Annual S. S. Conference, October 9, 1904.

Mutual Treatment of Husband, Wife and Chil-

356 GOSPEL DOCTRINE

dren. Parents, in the first place, whether they do it or
not, should love and respect each other, and treat each other
with respectful decorum, and kindly regard all the time.
The husband should treat his wife with the utmost courtesy
and respect. The husband should never insult her; he
should never speak slightly of her, but should always hold
her in the highest esteem in the home, in the presence of their
children. We do not always do it, perhaps; some of us,
perhaps, do not do it at all. But nevertheless it is true that
we ought to do it. The wife, also, should treat the hus-
band with the greatest respect and courtesy. Her_ words
to him should not be keen and cutting and sarcastic. She
should not pass slurs or insinuations at him. She should not
nag him. She should not try to arouse his anger or make
things unpleasant about the home. The wife should be a
joy to her husband, and she should live and conduct her-
self at home so the home will be the most joyous, the most
blessed place on earth to her husband. This should be the
condition of the husband, wife, the father and the mother,
within the sacred precincts of that holy place, the home.
Then it will be easy for the parents to instil into the hearts
of their children, not only love for their fathers and their
mothers, not only respect and courtesy towards their parents,
but love and courtesy and deference between the children
at home. The little brothers will respect their little sisters.
The little boys will respect one another. The little girls
will respect one another and the girls and boys will respect
one another, and treat one another with that love, that
deference and respect that should be observed in the home on
the part of the little children. Then it will be easy for the
Sunday school teacher to continue the training of the child
under the hallowed influence of the Sabbath school; and
the child will be tractable and easily led, because the founda-
tion of a correct education has been laid in the heart and
mind of the child at home. The teacher can then help the

MARRIAGE, THE HOME AND FAMILY 357

little children, brought up under these proper influences,
to render respect and courtesy to all men and especially
to the unfortunate, the aged and the infirm. — Apr. C. R.,
1905, pp. 84-85.

We Should Be Examples to Our Families. When
I think of our mothers, the mothers of our children, and
realize that under the inspiration of the gospel they live
virtuous, pure, honorable lives, true to their husbands, true
to their children, true to their convictions of the gospel, oh,
how my soul goes out in pure love for them; how noble
and how God-given, how choice, how desirable and how in-
dispensable they are to the accomplishment of God's pur-
poses and the fulfilment of his decrees ! My brethren, can
you mistreat your wives, the mothers of your children ?
Can you help treating them with love and kindness? Can
you help trying to make their lives as comfortable and
happy as possible, lightening their burdens to the utmost
of your ability, making life pleasant for them and for their
children in their homes? How can you help it? How can
any one help feeling an intense interest in the mother of his
children, and also in his children? If we possess the Spirit
of God, we can not do otherwise. It is only when men
depart from trie right spirit, when they digress from their
duty, that they will neglect or dishonor any soul that is
committed to their care. They are bound to honor their
wives and children. Intelligent men, men of business, men
of affairs, men who are involved constantly in the labors
of life, and have to devote their energies and thought to
their labors and duties, may not enjoy as many comforts
with their families as they would like, but if they have the
Spirit of the Lord with them in the performance of their
temporal duties, they will never neglect the mothers of
their children, nor their children. They will not fail to teach
them the principles of life and set before them a proper
example. Don't do anything yourselves that you would have

358 GOSPEL DOCTRINE

to say to your boy, "Don't do it." Live so that you can say,
"My son, do as I do, follow me, emulate my example." That
is the way fathers should live, every one of us; and it is a
shame, a weakening, shameful thing for any member of the
Church to pursue a course that he knows is not right, and
that he would rather his children should not follow. — Apr.
C. R., 1915, pp. 6-7.

The Truest Greatness. After all, to do well those
things which God ordained to be the common lot of all man-
kind, is the truest greatness. To be a successful father
or a successful mother is greater than to be a successful
general or a successful statesman. One is universal and
eternal greatness, the other is phenomenal. It is true that
such secondary greatness may be added to that which we
style commonplace ; but when such secondary greatness is
not added to that which is fundamental, it is merely an
empty honor, and fades away from the common and uni-
versal good in life, even though it may find a place in the
desultory pages of history. Our first care, after all, brings
us back to that beautiful admonition of our Savior: "Seek
ye first the kingdom of God, and his righteousness ; and all
these things shall be added unto you." (Matt. 6:33.)

We should never be discouraged in those daily tasks
which God has ordained to the common lot of man. Each
day's labor should be undertaken in a joyous spirit and with
the thought and conviction that our happiness and eternal
welfare depend upon doing well that which we ought to do,
that which God has made it our duty to do. Many are un-
happy because they imagine that they should be doing some-
thing unusual or something phenomenal. Some people
would rather be the blossom of a tree and be admiringly
Seen than be an enduring part of the tree and live the com-
monplace life of the tree's existence.

Let us not be trying to substitute an artificial life for
the true one. He is truly happy who can see and appreciate

MARRIAGE, THE HOME AND FAMILY 359

the beauty with which God has adorned the commonplace
things of life. — Juvenile Instructor, Vol. 40, pp. 572-3, Dec.
15, 1905.

Parents Responsible for their Children. The par-
ents in Zion will be held responsible for the acts of their
children, not only until they become eight years old, but, per-
haps, throughout all the lives of their children, provided they
have neglected their duty to their children while they were
under their care and guidance, and the parents were respon-
sible for them.— Apr. C. R. } 1910, p. 6.

The Father the Presiding Authority of the Fam-
ily. There is no higher authority in matters relating to the
family organization, and" especially when that organization
is presided over by one holding the higher priesthood, than
that of the father. This authority is time honored, and
among the people of God in all dispensations it has been
highly respected and often emphasized by the teachings of
rhe prophets who were inspired of God. The patriarchal or-
der is of divine origin and will continue throughout time and
eternity. There is, then, a particular reason why men,
women and children should understand this order and this
authority in the households of the people of God, and seek
to make it what God intended it to be, a qualification and
preparation for the highest exaltation of his children. In
the home the presiding authority is always vested in the
father, and in all home affairs and family matters there is
no other authority paramount. To illustrate this principle,
a single incident will perhaps suffice. It sometimes hap-
pens that the elders are called in to administer to the mem-
bers of a family. Among these elders there may be pres-
idents of stakes, apostles, or even members of the first
presidency of the Church. It is not proper under these
circumstances for the father to stand back and expect the
elders to direct the administration of this important ordin-
ance. The father is there. It is his right and it is his duty

360 GOSPEL DOCTRINE

to preside. He should select the one who is to administer
the oil, and the one who is to be mouth in prayer, and he
should' not feel that because there are present presiding
authorities in the Church that he is therefore divested of
his rights to direct the administration of that blessing of the
gospel in his home. (If the father be absent, the mother
should request the presiding authority present to take
charge.) The father presides at the table, at prayer, and
gives general directions relating to his family life whoever
may be present. Wives and children should be taught to feel
that the patriarchal order in the kingdom of God has been
established for a wise and beneficent purpose, and should
sustain the head of the household and encourage him in the
discharge of his duties, and do all in their power to aid him
in the exercise of the rights and privileges which God has
bestowed upon the head of the home. This patriarchal order
has its divine spirit and purpose, and those who disregard
it under one pretext or another are out of harmony with
the spirit of God's laws as they are ordained for recognition
in the home. It is not merely a question of who is perhaps
the best qualified. Neither is it wholly a question of who is
living the most worthy life. It is a question largely of law
and order, and its importance is seen often from the fact
that the authority remains and is respected long after a man
is really unworthy to exercise it.

This authority carries with it a responsibility, and a
grave one, as well as its rights and privileges, and men can
not be too exemplary in their lives, nor fit themselves too
carefully to live in harmony with this important and God-
ordained rule of conduct in .the family organization. Upon
the authority certain promises and' blessings are predicated,
and those who observe and respect this authority have cer-
tain claims on divine favor which they cannot have except
they respect and observe the laws that God has established
for the regulation and authority of the home. "Honor thy

MARRIAGE, THE HOME AND FAMILY 361

father and thy mother : that thy days may be long upon the
land which the Lord thy God giveth thee," was a funda-
mental law to ancient Israel, and is binding upon every
member of the Church today, for the law is eternal.

The necessity, then, of recognizing the patriarchal order
and authority of the home rests upon principle as well as
upon the person who holds that authority, and among the
Latter-day Saints family discipline, founded upon the law
of the patriarchs, should be carefully cultivated, and fathers
will then be able to remove many of the difficulties that now
weaken their position in the home, through unworthy chil-
dren.

The principles here set forth are of more importance
than many parents have heretofore attached' to them, and the
unfortunate position today in the homes of many of the el-
ders of Israel is directly traceable to a want of appreciation
of their truthfulness. — Juvenile Instructor, Vol. 37, p. 148,
March 1, 1902.

Duties of Fathers. May the fathers in Israel live as
they should live ; treat their wives as they should treat them ;
make their homes as comfortable as they possibly can ;
lighten the burdens upon their companions as much as pos-
sible ; set a proper example before their children ; teach
them to meet with them in prayer, morning and night, and
whenever they sit down to partake of food, to acknowledge
the mercy of God in giving them the food that they eat and
the raiment that they wear, and acknowledge the hand of
God in all things. This is our duty, and if we do not do it
the Lord will be displeased, for he has said so. He is only
pleased with those who acknowledge his hand in all things.
—Oct. C. R., 1909, p. 9: Doc. and Cov. 59:7, 21.

Motherhood the Foundation of Home and Nation.
Motherhood lies at the foundation of happiness in the home,
and of prosperity in the nation. God' has laid upon men
and women very sacred obligations with respect to mother-

362 GOSPEL DOCTRINE

hood, and they are obligations that cannot be disregarded
without invoking divine displeasure. In I Timothy 2:13-15,
we are told that, "Adam was first formed', then Eve. And
Adam was not deceived, but the woman being deceived was
in the transgression. Notwithstanding she shall be saved
in child-bearing, if they continue in faith and charity and
holiness with sobriety. " Can she be saved without child-
bearing? She indeed takes an awful risk if she wilfully
disregards what is a pronounced requirement of God. How
shall she plead her innocence when she is not innocent?
How shall she excuse her guilt when it is fastened upon
her?

The question of parental obligation in the matter of
children is not generally denied. A failure to fulfil the
obligation, however, is. too frequently excused.

"Children, " we are told, "are a heritage of the Lord;"
they are also, the Psalmist tells us, "his reward." If chil-
dren are cut off from their birthright, how shall the Lord
be rewarded? They are not a source of weakness and pov-
erty to family life, for they bring with them certain divine
blessings that make for the prosperity of the home and the
nation. "As arrows are in the hand of a mighty man; so
are children of the youth. Happy is the man that hath his
quiver full of them: they shall not be ashamed, but they
shall speak with the enemies in the gate" (Psalm 127:4, 5).

What answer shall men and women make in excuse
of conduct which contravenes the commandments of God?
Those whose hearts are in touch with God's most sacred
laws will make great sacrifices honestly to fulfil them.

There has, however, of late arisen a condition in. our
social life that is working against the divine requirements of
motherhood. Men and women plead the enormous increase
in the cost of child-bearing. The requirements for mother-
hood in matters of doctors' fees, nurses' bills and hospital
charges, are so great as to discourage men and women of

MARRIAGE, THE HOME AND FAMILY 363

slender means. The burden of such expenses are certainly
becoming great, and' if they are likely to stand directly in
the way of God's requirements, something should be done
either to remove them or mitigate them, and some means
should be provided that will protect the family and the na-
tion against destruction. It is a problem well worthy the
attention of our law-makers, who appropriate generously
in matters that are insignificant when compared with the
health, wealth and physical prosperity of the nation that en-
courages the birth of children. — Juvenile Instructor, Vol.
50, pp. 290, 291, May, 1915.

Husband's Success Dependent upon Wife's Fitness.
There is no organization or government in the world so per-
fectly planned for the education of men and women to ex-
ecutive responsibilities as is the Church of Jesus Christ of
Latter-day Saints. Government in the home and in the
Church constitutes an important part in the lives of the peo-
ple, and the government in the home is the basis of all suc-
cessful government in church or state. In the home the
mother is the principal disciplinarian in early child life, and
her influence and discipline determine in a great measure the
ability of her children to assume in manhood and woman-
hood the larger governments in church and state.

In addition, however, to home government, women
often stand with their husbands in responsible places and
share in some measure the success or failure which charac-
terizes their husbands' administration of affairs. In select-
ing men to occupy responsible positions in the Church, it
not infrequently happens that a useful and competent man
is barred from consideration because of the deplorable want
of fitness in the wife, and though a wife may not always bar
a husband's opportunities, she may, nevertheless, prove a
great hindrance to him in the discharge of the duties that
belong to his office. If our sisters could only realize how
helpful they might be to their husbands who hold resporisi-

364 GOSPEL DOCTRINE

ble positions in the Church, and if they would only take
pride and pleasure in their husbands' administration of
affairs, the conduct of men in public office would in many
instances be very greatly improved.

The word and the law of God are as important for
women who would reach wise conclusions as they are for
men;* and women should study and consider the problems
of this great latter-day work from the standpoint of God's
revelations, and as they may be actuated by his Spirit, which
it is their right to receive through the medium of sincere and
heartfelt prayer. A woman without heartfelt devotion for
the things of God is not prepared to stand at her husband's
side and enjoy his confidence in the graver responsibilities
that devolve upon him in the government of the Church.
Husbands are justified in withholding their confidence from
and in refusing to be influenced by wives whose worldly
ambitions and want of appreciation of divine things lead
them to contend for personal advantages and selfish gains.
Wives of leaders should have a generous feeling for all
that relates to the affairs over which their husbands pre-
side. Such women should not be exclusive in their social
relations, and shoufd avoid the evils that frequently come
from yielding to the influence and views of a small coterie
that may have selfish aims and personal advantages to
serve. — Juvenile Instructor, Vol. 38, pp. 371, 372, 1903.

Duty of Parents. It is the duty of Latter-day Saints
to teach their children the truth, to bring them up in the way
they should go, to teach them the first principles of the
gospel, the necessity of baptism for the remission of sins,
and for membership in the Church of Christ ; teaching them
the necessity of receiving the gift of the Holy Ghost by the
laying on of hands, which will lead them into all truth, and
which will reveal to them things that have passed and things
which are to come, and show to them more clearly those
things which are present with them, that they may compre-

MARRIAGE, THE HOME AND FAMILY 365

hend the truth, and that they may walk in the light as Christ
is in the light ; that they may have fellowship with him and
that his blood may cleanse them from all sin. — Apr. C. R. }
1912, p. 135.

Watch Your Children. Some people have grown to
possess such unlimited confidence in their children that they
do not believe it possible for them to be led astray or to do
wrong. They do not believe they could do wrong, because
they have such confidence in them. The result is they turn
them loose, morning, noon and night, to attend all kinds of
entertainments and amusements, often in company with
those whom they know not and do not understand. Some of
our children are so innocent that they do not suspect evil,
and, therefore, they are off their guard and are trapped into
evil.— Oct. C. R. t 1909, p. 4.

Duty to Teach Children. Another great and im-
portant duty devolving upon this people is to teach their
children, from their cradle until they become- men and
women, every principle of the gospel, and endeavor, as far
as it lies in the power of the parents, to instil into their
hearts a love for God, the truth, virtue, honesty, honor and
integrity to everything that is good. That is important for
all men and women who stand at the head of a family in
the household of faith. Teach your children the love of God,
teach them to love the principles of the gospel of Jesus
Christ. Teach them to love their fellow men, and especially
to love their fellow members in the Church, that they may
be true to their fellowship with the people of God. Teach
them to honor the priesthood, to honor the authority that
God has bestowed upon his Church for the proper govern-
ment of his Church.— Apr. C. R., 1915, pp. 4, 5.

What to Teach Your Children. We are a Christian
people, we believe in the Lord Jesus Christ, and we feel that
it is our duty to acknowledge him as our Savior and Re-
deemer. Teach it to your children. Teach them that the

366 GOSPEL DOCTRINE

Prophet Joseph Smith had restored to him the priest-
hood that was held by Peter and James and John, who were
ordained under the hands of the Savior himself. Teach them
that Joseph Smith, the prophet, when only a boy f was chosen
and called of God to lay the foundations of the Church of
Christ in the world, to restore the holy priesthood, and the
ordinances of the gospel, which are necessary to qualify
men to enter into the kingdom of heaven. Teach your chil-
dren to respect their neighbors. Teach your children to
respect their bishops and the teachers that come to their
homes to teach them. Teach your children to respect old
age, gray hairs, and feeble frames. Teach them to venerate
and to hold in honorable remembrance their parents, and
to help all those who are helpless and needy. Teach your
children, as you have been taught yourselves, to honor the
priesthood which you hold, the priesthood which we hold
as elders in Israel. Teach your children to honor them-
selves, teach your children to honor the principle of presi-
dency by which organizations are held intaqt and by which
strength and power for the well-being and happiness and
upbuilding of the people are preserved. Teach your children
that when they go to school they should honor their teachers
in that which is true and honest, in that which is manly and
womanly, and worth while ; and also teach them to avoid the
bad examples of their teachers out of school, and the bad
principles of men and women who are sometimes teachers
in schools. Teach your children to honor the law of God and
the law of the state and the law of our country. Teach them
to respect and hold in honor those who are chosen by the peo-
ple to stand at their head and execute justice and admin-
ister the law. Teach them to be loyal to their country, loyal
to righteousness and uprightness and honor, and thereby
they will grow up to be men and women choice above all
the men and women of the world. — Apr. C. R., 1917, pp. 5, 6.
What Children Should Be Taught. I pray you, my

MARRIAGE, THE HOME AND FAMILY 367

brethren and sisters, who have children in Zion, and upon
whom rests the greater responsibility, teach them the princi-
ples of the gospel, teach them to have faith in the Lord
Jesus Christ, and in baptism for the remission of sins when
they shall reach the age of eight years. They must be taught
in the principles of the gospel of Jesus Christ by their par-
ents, or the blood of the'children will be upon the skirts of
those parents. It seems to me so plain a duty and so neces-
sary for them to see to it that their children avail themselves
of the opportunities that are afforded them in having them
taught and instructed in these principles in the Sunday
Schools that are established in the Church and conducted
Sunday after Sunday for the benefit of their children. I
should feel contemptible, I was going to say, in my own
mind, in my own feelings, if I had children who were neg-
lected by their parents in regard to these matters. Our little
ones are only too anxious to go to Sunday school, no matter
what may occur, whether it rains or is cold or pleasant, or
what not; whether they are sick or well, they cannot be
kept from the Sunday school unless there is great cause for
it.— Apr. C. R., 1903, p. 81.

Training of Children at Home and in Sunday
School. It does not need argument to convince our minds
that our children will be just about what we make them.
They are born without knowledge or understanding — the
most helpless creatures of the animal creation born into the
world. The little one begins to learn after it is born, and
all that it knows greatly depends upon its environment, the
influences under which it is brought up, the kindness with
which it is treated, the noble examples shown it, the hallowed
influences of father and mother, or otherwise, over its infant
mind. And it will be largely what its environment and its
parents and teachers make it.

The child of the lowest of our native tribes born in a
wigwam and the child born in luxury start out almost equal,

368 GOSPEL DOCTRINE

so far as the possibilities of learning are concerned. A great
deal depends upon the influences under which it is brought
up. You will observe that the most potent influence over
the mind of a child to persuade it to learn, to progress, or to
accomplish anything, is the influence of love. More can be
accomplished for good by unfeigned love, in bringing up a
child, than by any other influence that can be brought to bear
upon it. A child that cannot be conquered by the lash, or
subdued by violence, may be controlled in an instant by un-
feigned affection and sympathy. I know that is true; and
this principle obtains in every condition of life.

The Sunday school teacher should govern the children,
not by passion, by bitter words or scolding, but by affection
and by winning their confidence. If a teacher get the confi-
dence of a child it is not impossible to accomplish every de-
sired good with that child.

I would have it understood that I believe that the great-
est law and commandment of God is to love the Lord our
God with all our mind, might and strength, and our neigh-
bors as ourselves, and if this principle is observed at home
the brothers and sisters will love one another; they will be
kind and helpful to one another, showing forth the principle
of kindness and being solicitous for one another's good. Un-
der these circumstances the home comes nearer being a
heaven on earth, and children brought up under these influ-
ences will never forget them, and though they may be in
trying places, their memories will revert to the homes where
they enjoyed such hallowed influences, and their better na-
tures will assert themselves no matter what the trials or
temptations may be.

Brethren and sisters of the Sunday school, I implore
you to teach and control by the spirit of love and forbear-
ance until you can conquer. If children are defiant and dif-
ficult to control, be patient with them until you can conquer

MARRIAGE, THE HOME AND FAMILY 369

by love, and you will have gained their souls, and you can
then mold their characters as you please.

Sometimes children do not like their teachers, and the
teachers are impatient with the children, and complain of
them as being very uncouth, uncontrollable and bad. The
children in their turn tell their parents how they despise
their teachers, and say they don't want to go to school any
more because the teacher is so cross. I have heard of these
things and know them to be true. On the other hand', if
children say to father and mother, "We think we have the
best teacher in the world, in our Sunday school, " or, "We
have the best teacher in our district school that ever lived,"
it proves that those teachers have won the affections of the
children, and the little ones are as clay in the hands of the
potter to be molded in any shape desired. This is the posi-
tion you teachers should occupy, and' if you get their affec-
tions this will be the report the children will make regard-
ing you .— Oct. C. R., 1902, pp. 92, 93.

Teach Children the Gospel. It is the duty of parents
to teach their children the principles of the gospel, and to be
sober-minded and industrious in their youth. They should
be impressed from the cradle to the time they leave the
parental roof to make, homes and assume the duties of life
for themselves, that there is a seed' time and harvest, and as
a man sows, so shall he reap. The sowing of bad habits in
youth will bring forth nothing better than vice, and the sow-
ing of the seeds of indolence will result invariably in pov-
erty and lack of stability in old age. Evil begets evil, and
good will bring forth good.

I have heard people say, "We pass this way but once,
and we might as well have a good time and make the most
of it while life lasts." This is in keeping with the predic-
tion in the Book of Mormon : "And there shall be many
which shall say, Eat, drink, and be merry, for tomorrow
we die; and it shall be well with us. * * * Yea, and

25

370 GOSPEL DOCTRINE

there^ shall be many which shall teach after this manner,
false, and vain, and foolish doctrines, and shall be puffed
up in their hearts, and shall seek deep to hide their counsels
from the Lord; and their works shall be in the dark" (II
Nephi 28:7-9).

Let the parents in Zion give their children something to
do that they may be taught the arts of industry, and equip-
ped to carry responsibility when it is thrust upon them.
Train them in some useful vocation that their living may be
assured when they commence in life for themselves. Re-
member, the Lord has said that "the idler shall not eat the
bread of the laborer," but all in Zion should be industrious.
Neither should they be given to loud laughter, light and fool-
ish speeches, worldly pride and lustful desires, for these are'
not only unbecoming, but grievous sins in the sight of the
Lord. And, we read that the wages of sin is death, and death
is banishment from the Spirit and presence of the Lord.

And above all else, let us train our children in the prin-
ciples of the gospel of our Savior, that they may become fa-
miliar with the truth and walk in the light which it sheds
forth to all those who will receive it. "He that seeketh me
early," the Lord has said, "shall find me, and shall not be
forsaken." It behooves us, therefore, to commence in early
life to travel in the strait and narrow path which leads to
eternal salvation. — Juvenile Instructor, Vol. 52, pp. 19, 20,
January, 1917; Rom. 6:23; Prov. 8:17.

Teach Children the Story of Jesus' Death. Should
the little children of the kindergarten be taught the events
leading up to and culminating in the death of our Savior?
It is a principle widely accepted that it is not desirable to
teach these little ones those things that are horrifying to
childish natures. And what may be said of children is
equally true in all stages of student life. But death is not an
unmixed horror. With it are associated some of the pro-
fcundest and most important truths of human life. Al-

MARRIAGE, THE HOME AND FAMILY 371

though painful in the extreme to those who must suffer the
departure of dear ones, death is one of the grandest bless-
ings in divine economy; and we think children should be
taught something of its true meaning as early in life as pos-
sible.

We are born that we may put on mortality, that is, that
we may clothe our spirits with a body. Such a blessing is
the first step toward an immortal body, and the second step
is death. Death lies along the road of eternal progress ; and
though hard to bear, no one who believes in the gospel of
Jesus Christ, and especially in the resurrection, would have
it otherwise. Children should be taught early in life that
death is really a necessity as well as a blessing, and that we
would not and could not be satisfied and supremely happy
without it. Upon the crucifixion and the resurrection of
Jesus, one of the grandest principles of the gospel depends.
If children were taught this early in life, death would not
have the horrifying influence that it does have over many
childish minds.

Children are sure to be brought into some acquaintance-
ship with the incident of death, even during the kindergar-
ten period ; and it would be a great relief to the puzzled and
perplexed conditions of their minds if some intelligent state-
ments of the reason for death were made to them. No ex-
planation of death to a child's mind can anywhere be found
that is more simple and convincing than is the death of our
Master, connected as it is and ever must be with his glorious
resurrection. — Juvenile Instructor, Vol. 40, p. 336, June 1,
1905.

Wise Giving to Children. It is very gratifying to
parents to be able to respond to the desires of their children,
but it is undoubtedly a cruelty to a child to give it every-
thing it asks for. Children may wisely be denied things
which even in themselves are harmless. Our pleasures de-
pend very often more upon the qualities of our desires than

372 GOSPEL DOCTRINE

upon the gratification. A child may be ladened with gifts
which affords him little or no pleasure, simply because he has
no desire for them. The education then of our desires is one
of far-reaching importance to our happiness in life; and
when we learn that there is an education of our intellects and
we are set about that education with prudence and wisdom,
we shall do much to increase not only our happiness but also
our usefulness in the world.

God's ways of educating our desires are, of course, al-
ways the most perfect, and if those who have it in their
power to educate and direct the desires of children would
imitate his prudence, the children would be much more for-
tunate in combating the difficulties that beset men every-
where in the struggle for existence. And what is God's way ?
Everywhere in nature we are taught the lessons of patience
and waiting: We want things a long time before we get
them, and the fact that we wanted them a long time makes
them all the more precious when they come. In nature we
have our seed-time and harvest ; and if children were taught
that the desires that they sow may be reaped by and by
through patience and labor, they will learn to appreciate
whenever a long-looked-for goal has been reached. Nature
resists us and keeps admonishing us to wait ; indeed, we are
compelled to wait.

A man has a much greater capacity to enjoy that for
which he has labored for a number of years than one who
has a similar object given to him. It is, therefore, most un-
fortunate for children when their parents greatly weaken or
almost wholly destroy the children's capacity for the enjoy-
ment of some of the most wholesome pleasures of life. The
child who has everything he wants and when he wants it
is really to be pitied, for he has no ability to enjoy it. There
may be a hundred times more pleasure in a dollar piece for
one child than for another.

Our desires are the strongest motives which incite us

MARRIAGE, THE HOME AND FAMILY 373

to energy and which make us productive and creative in
life. If they are weak, our creations are likely to be puny
and worthless. Money that a boy works for has a value
upon his life and an actual purchasing power greatly in ex-
cess of the money that has been given to him. And what
is true of boys is in a large measure true of girls. The girl
who earns something, who works persistently and patiently
that she may have money she can call her own has a capacity
for enjoying the objects of her desires greatly in excess of
the girl who never learned to earn a dollar. She also knows
and appreciates the value of a dollar more than the girl who
never had to wait until she earned it. It is a mistake for
parents to suppose that a daughter ought never to be re-
quired to earn anything. Every effort by which we seek
the fulfilment of our desires gives strength and character to
manhood and womanhood. The man who builds a house has
vastly more enjoyment in its occupation than the man who
has had a house given to him.

It is just as wrong systematically to give a child every-
thing he desires as to deny the child everything. When in-
dulgent parents fancy that they are adding to the pleasure
of their children's lives by giving to them whatever they
wish, such parents are in fact destroying the capacity of
their children to enjoy the gratification of desires weakened
and perverted by over-indulgence. The ability to give to
children wisely is indeed a rare attainment, and is acquired
only by a thoughtful and prudent exercise of the highest
sense of duty which parents can feel for their children. Duty
is always preferable to indulgence. — Juvenile Instructor, p.
400, July 1, 1903.

Do Not Place Children Under Pledges. We believe
it is questionable wisdom to put children under a pledge of
any kind. We ourselves do not put our children under
pledges, and we see no reason why we should permit others
to do it. Instructions can be given to children warning them

374 GOSPEL DOCTRINE

against the use of strong drinks arid tobacco just as well
without their being pledged as by placing that responsibility
upon them. No man or set of people should be permitted
to call our children together for the purpose of joining a
temperance society, without they first obtain the consent of
the parents or guardians of those children; and we take it
for granted that no such, consent would be given. We
also take it for granted that boards of education could not
consistently, without such permission, allow such a thing to
be done in the public schools.

It should be understood that we, the Latter-day Saints,
teach temperance and morality as part of our religion, and
that we ourselves are competent to do this kind of work
among our own children without the aid of outside temper-
ance societies. — Juvenile Instructor, Vol. 37, p. 720, Dec. 1,
1902.

Children Have Equal Rights With Elders in the
House of the Lord. Our children should be taught also that
they have rights in the house of the Lord equal to their
parents and equal to their neighbors or anybody else.—Or^.
C. R., 1904, p. 88.

Don't Mortgage Your Houses. My brethren, see to
it that you do not put a mortgage upon the roof that covers
the heads of your wives and your children. Don't do it.
Don't plaster your farms with mortgages, because it is
from your farms that you reap your food, and the means
to provide your raiment and your other necessaries of life.
Keep your possessions free from debt. Get out of debt as
fast as you can, and keep out of debt, for that is the way
in which the promise of God will be fulfilled to the people
of his Church, that they will become the richest of all people
in the world. But this will not happen while you mortgage
your homes and your farms, or run into debt beyond your
ability to meet your obligations; and thus, perhaps, your
name and credit be dishonored because you over-reached

MARRIAGE, THE HOME AND FAMILY 37 S

yourselves. "Never reach further than you can gather,"
is a good motto. — Apr. C. R., 1915, p. 11.

No Substitute for the Home. The growing ten-
dency throughout the country to abandon the home for the
hotel and for the nomadic life with its ever-shifting and
restless spirit, manifests itself here and there among the
Latter-day Saints. A word of warning at this time may not
be inappropriate to those who imagine that there is some
charm as well as benefit in moving about the world in quest
of pleasure and novelties that come from changing fre-
quently one's habitation.

There is no substitute for the home. Its foundation is
as ancient as the world", and its mission has been ordained
of God from the earliest times. From Abraham sprang two
ancient races represented in Isaac and Ishmael. The one
built stable homes, and prized its land as a divine inher-
itance. The other became children of the desert, and as
restless as its ever-shifting sands upon which their tents were
pitched. From that day to the present, the home has been
the chief characteristic of superior over inferior nations.
The home then is more than a habitation, it is an institution
which stands for stability and love in individuals as well as
in nations.

There can be no genuine happiness separate and apart
from the home, and every effort made to sanctify and pre-
serve its influence is uplifting to those who toil and sacrifice
for its establishment. Men and women often seek to sub-
stitute some other life for that of the home ; they would
make themselves believe that the home means restraint ; that
the highest liberty is the fullest opportunity to move about
at will. There is no happiness without service, and there
is no service greater than that which converts the home into
a divine institution, and which promotes and preserves family
life. - i

Those who shirk home responsibilities are wanting in an

376 GOSPEL DOCTRINE

important element of social well-being. They may indulge
themselves in social pleasures, but their pleasures are su-
perficial and result in disappointment later in life. The occu-
pations of men sometimes call them from their homes; but
the thought of home-coming is always an inspiration to
well doing and devotion. When women abandon the home
and its duties, the case is a more deplorable one. The evil
effects are not confined to the mother alone. The children
are robbed of a sacred right, and their love is bereft of its
rallying place around the hearthstone. The strongest attach-
ments of childhood are those that cluster about the home,
and the dearest memories of old age are those that call up
the associations of youth and its happy surroundings.

The disposition among the Saints to be moving about
ought to be discouraged. If communities must swarm let the
young go, and let the old homes be transmitted from gen-
eration to generation, and let the home be erected with the
thought that it is to be a family abiding place from one
generation to another, that it is to be a monument to its
founder and an inheritance of all that is sacred and dear in
home life. Let it be the Mecca to which an ever-increasing
posterity may make its pilgrimage. The home, a stable and
pure home, is the highest guaranty of social stability and
permanence in government.

A Latter-day Saint who has no ambition to establish a
home and give it permanency has not a full conception 01
a sacred duty the gospel imposes upon him It may be
necessary at times to change our abode ; but a change
should never be made for light or trivial reasons, nor to sat-
isfy a restless spirit. Whenever homes are built the thought
of permanency should always be present. Many of the
Saints live in parts of the country that are less productive
than others, that possess few natural attractions, yet they
cherish their homes and their surroundings ,and the more sub-
stantial men and women of such communities are the last

MARRIAGE, THE HOME AND FAMILY 377

to abandon them. There is no substitute in wealth or in
ambition for the home. Its influence is a prime necessity
for man's happiness and well-being. — Juvenile Instructor,
Vol. 38, pp. 145, 146, March 1, 1903.

Worship in the Home. We have in the gospel the
truth. If that is the case, and I bear my tesvimony that so
it is, then it is worth our every effort to understand the
truth, each for himself, and to impart it in spirit and prac-
tice to our children. Far too many risk their children's spir-
itual guidance to chance, or to others rather than to them-
selves, and think that organizations suffice for religious train-
ing. Our temporal bodies would soon become emaciated, if
we fed them only once a week, or twice, as some of us are
in the habit of feeding our spiritual and religious bodies.
Our material concerns would be less thriving, if we looked
after them only two hours a week, as some people seem to
do with their spiritual affairs, especially if we in addition
contented ourselves, as some do in, religious matters, to let
others look after them.

No ; on the other hand, this should be done every day,
and' in the home, by precept, teaching and example. Breth-
ren, there is too little religious devotion, love and fear of
God, in the home ; too much worldiness, selfishness, indiffer-
ence, and lack of reverence in the family, or these never would
exist so abundantly on the outside. Then, the home is what
needs reforming. Try today, and tomorrow, to make a
change in your home by praying twice a day with your
family; call on your children and your wife to pray with
you. Ask a blessing upon every meal you eat. Spend ten
minutes in reading a chapter from the words of the Lord
in the Bible, the Book of Mormon, the Doctrine and Cove-
nants, before you retire, or before you go to your daily toil.
Feed your spiritual selves at home, as well as in public
places. Let love, and peace, and the Spirit of the Lord,
kindness, charity, sacrifice for others, abound in your fam-

378 GOSPEL DOCTRINE

ilies. Banish harsh words, envyings, hatreds, evil speaking,
obscene language and innuendo, blasphemy, and let the
Spirit of God take possession of your hearts. Teach to your
children these things, in spirit and power, sustained and
strengthened by personal practice. Let them see that you
are earnest, and practice what you preach. Do not let your
children out to specialists in these things, but teach them by
your own precept and example, by your own fireside. Be a
specialist yourself in the truth. Let our meetings, schools
and organizations, instead of being our only or leading
teachers, be supplements to our teachings and training in
the home. Not one child in a hundred would go astray, if
the home environment, example and training, were in har-
mony with the truth in the gospel of Christ, as revealed and
taught to the Latter-day Saints. Fathers and mothers, yon
are largely to blame for the infidelity and indifference of
your children. You can remedy the evil by earnest worship,
example, training and discipline, in the home. — Improve-
ment Era, Vol. 7, Dec, 1904, p. 135.

The Basis of a True Home. A home is not a home
in the eye of the gospel, unless there dwell perfect confidence
and love between the husband and the wife. Home is a place
of order, love, union, rest, confidence and absolute trust;
where the breath of suspicion of infidelity can not enter ;
where the woman and the man each have implicit confidence
in each other's honor and virtue. — Second Sunday School
Convention.

The Ideal Home. What then is an ideal home — a
model home such as it should be the ambition of the Latter-
day Saints to build ; such as a young man starting out in
life should wish to erect for himself? And the answer came
to me: It is one in which all worldly considerations are
secondary. One in which the father is devoted to the family
with which God has blessed him, counting them of first inv

MARRIAGE, THE HOME AND FAMILY 379

portance, and in which they in turn permit him to live in
their hearts. One in which there is confidence, union, love,
sacred devotion between father and mother, and children
and parents. One in which the mother takes every pleasure
in her children, supported by the father — all being moral,
pure, God-fearing. As the tree is judged by its fruit, so
also do we judge the home by the children. In the ideal
home true parents rear loving, thoughtful children, loyal to
the death, to father and mother and home ! In it there is the
religious spirit, for both parents and' children have faith in
God, and their practices are in conformity with that faith ; the
members are free from the vices and contaminations of the
world, are pure in morals, having upright hearts beyond
bribes and temptations, ranging high in the exalted standards
of manhood and womanhood. Peace, order, and contentment
reign in the hearts of the inmates — let them be rich or poor,
in things material. There are no vain regrets; no expres-
sions of discontent against father, from the boys and girls, in
which they complain : "If we only had this or that, or were
like this family or that, or could do like so and so !" — com-
plaints that have caused fathers many uncertain steps, dim
eyes, restless nights, and untold anxiety. In their place is
the loving thoughtfulness to mother and father by which the
boys and girls work with a will and a determination to
carry some of the burden that the parents have staggered
under these many years. There is the kiss for mother, the
caress for father, the thought that they have sacrificed their »
own hopes and ambitions, their strength, even life itself to
their children — there is gratitude in payment for all that has
been given them!

In the ideal home the soul is not starved, neither are the
growth and expansion of the finer sentiments paralyzed for
the coarse and sensual pleasures. The main aim is not to
heap up material wealth, which generally draws further and
further from the true, the ideal, the spiritual life ; but it is

380 GOSPEL DOCTRINE

rather to create soul-wealth, consciousness of noble achieve-
ment, an outflow of love and helpfulness.

It is not costly paintings, tapestries, priceless bric-a-brac,
various ornaments, costly furniture, fields, herds, houses
and lands, which constitute the ideal home, nor yet the
social enjoyments and ease so tenaciously sought by many;
but it is rather beauty of soul, cultivated, loving, faithful,
true spirits ; hands that help and hearts that sympathize ; love
that seeks not its own, thoughts and acts that touch our lives
to finer issues — these lie at the foundation of the ideal
home.— Improvement Era, Vol. 8, 1904-05, pp. 385-388.

Foundation of All Good in Home. The very founda-
tion of the kingdom of God, of righteousness, of progress,
of development, of eternal life and eternal increase in the
kingdom of God, is laid in the divinely ordained home ; and
there should be no difficulty in holding in the highest rev-
erence and exalted thought, the home, if it can be built upon
the principles of purity, of true affection, of righteousness
and justice. The man and his wife who have perfect con-
fidence in each other, and who determine to follow the laws
of God in their lives and fulfil the measure of their mission
in the earth, would not be, and could never be, contented
without the home. Their hearts, their feelings, their minds,
their desires would naturally trend towards the building of
a home and family and of a kingdom of their own ; to the
laying of the foundation of eternal increase and power,
« glory, exaltation and dominion, worlds without end. — luve-
nile Instructor, Vol. 51, p. 739.

Secure Homes. In my judgment it would be prudent
and wisdom for the young people to secure lands near the
homes of their parents and near the body of the Church,
where they can have the advantage of Sunday schools and
the gatherings of the Saints, and in so doing they will be
building for themselves instead of permitting the stranger
to come in and take the lands — strangers with whom in many

MARRIAGE, THE HOME AND FAMILY 381

instances we could not affiliate. We all know there are
classes who come in here who up to date have not proved
desirable neighbors to affiliate with, and it is just as well
for our own young people to stay in the land of their birth
and build them homes. I will say that we do not approve of
the disposition of some to go afar off where life, property
and liberty are not safe. We wish them to remain, together,
so that if it is necessary or desirable that the Saints should
colonize, they might do it in order.

I do not want to be understood as saying or thinking
that one little state is big enough to contain all the young
people, and I think it is wisdom and necessary for the Lat-
ter-day Saints to take every advantage in this respect that is
possible. I think our young people should get homes in
Utah, Idaho, Wyoming and Colorado — in our own state and
in adjoining states — in blessed America, under this grand
and glorious government where life and property, and the
liberties of men are safe and protected, where mob violence
and revolutionary spirit do not stalk forth as in some coun-
tries of the world.

Another thing. In the old times an effort was made
to co-operate and combine together and establish home in-
dustries for the production of the things that were needful
for consumption of the people and to produce a revenue as
well. Today we have allowed the home industry spirit to
perish almost from amongst us, and we do not witness the
same loyalty among the people to those things which are pro-
duced at home that there should be. There are too many peo-
ple who would rather patronize some "cheap John" and buy
shoddy goods, just because they can get them a few pence
cheaper, than to sustain home industry, and get all wool and
a yard wide. We should not encourage foreign capital to
the exclusion of our own, and patronize foreign labor against
our own, but we should build up our home institutions. —
From a Sermon, given in Logan, April 7, 1910.

382 GOSPEL DOCTRINE

Own Your Hoaxes. It was early the rule among the
Latter-day Saints to have the lands so divided that every
family could have a spot of ground which could be called
theirs; and it has been the proud boast of this people that
among them were more home owners than among any other
people of like numbers. This condition had a good tendency,
and whatever men said of us, the home among this people
was a first consideration. It is this love of home that has
made the Saints famous as colonizers, builders of settle-
ments, and redeemers of the deserts. But in the cities there
appears now to be coming into vogue the idea that renting
is the thing. Of course, it may be necessary as a temporary
makeshift, but no young couple should ever settle down with
the idea that such a condition, as far as they are concerned,
shall be permanent. Every young man should have an am-
bition to possess his own home. It is better for him, for
his family, for society, for the state, and for the Church.
Nothing so engenders stability, strength, power, patriotism,
fidelity to country and to God, as the owning of a home — a
spot of earth that you and your children can call yours. And,
besides, there are so many tender virtues that grow with
such ownership that the government of a family is made
doubly easy thereby.

Let us continue, as a people, to be unlike the world in.
this regard. I hope the Saints will ever be a home-owning
people, and never become roamers, roomers and renters. We
should no more follow the prevailing notions in this than
in some other things. The people of Zion have a higher
destiny than being led by the nose, as it were, by the pre-
vailing whims. We do not purpose being led by evil tenden-
cies, but rather glory in being leaders ourselves in all that
makes for the welfare and happiness of the home, the ad-
vancement of the Church, the prosperity of the state. —
Improvement Era, Aug., 1904, Vol. 7, p. 796.

Do Not Mortgage Your Homes. Whenever a panic

MARRIAGE, THE HOME AND FAMILY 383

comes, or there is severe financial depression because of
monetary conditions, the people have before them a painful
object lesson on the evils of mortgaging, especially of their
homes and places of business.

Men owe it to their wives and children to be prudent
and conservative when business considerations touch the
home, and it is doubtful whether they really have a moral
right to expose helpless wives and children to the mercies
of the money lender. The evils are too abundantly manifest
to permit of mortgaging homes that should be sacred to the
needs of those who are dependent upon them.

The Latter-day Saints have often been warned and are
now earnestly admonished not to hazard their homes, and
with them their wives and children, upon the altar of finan-
cial speculation.

What was taught in the early days of our history in
this intermountain region is equally true today, and it is the
duty of every Latter-day Saint, so far as it is possible, to
own his home, to possess an earthly inheritance. It has been
our pride that among the people of all the world nowhere
can a greater percentage be found of those who have title
to the homes in which they live. Instead of declining year
by year in the total number of homes owned by the Latter-
day Saints of Salt Lake City, and other large cities, there
should be an increase. The matter of the Saints possessing
title to their homes is something more than a question of
whether it pays best to rent or to own. It is a question of
vital importance to our future position and relative strength
in a land to which by every rule of equity and prudence we
are entitled. There is a virtue and an assurance and a cer-
tainty in the ownership of one's home that are never felt
by those who are shifting from place to place without any
landed possession. The influence upon child life that comes
from the possession and ownership of the family home is of
itself a sufficient reason to guard it against the repeated evils

384 GOSPEL DOCTRINE

of mortgaging. The Latter-day Saints owe it to themselves
and they owe it to their God to be steadfast in the posses-
sion of the lands to which they hold titles, either by purchase
or settlement. The evil of mortgaging homes to eastern
firms, to men and companies who have no other motive than
to secure their pound of flesh, is growing among the people,
and especially among those in the larger cities. Against such
evils the people have in the past been abundantly warned.
If necessity compels the husband to place a mortgage upon
the home, let it come, if possible, through a friend and not
through those who may be the enemies of the people. If
the Latter-day Saints will give heed to the prudent admoni-
tions and lessons of the past, they will hesitate in the pres-
ence of the alluring temptations which are now everywhere
held out, to mortgage their homes, their places of business,
the canals, and the farms, for the means with which to
speculate and grow rich. It is to be hoped, therefore, that
where the Saints have mortgages upon their homes they will
be persistent in their endeavors to remove them, and they
are advised to keep intact and beyond menace the titles to
their lands.

The admonitions here given are directed especially to
those disposed to mortgage for the purpose of speculation,
and not to those who may find it necessary through building
societies or otherwise to secure homes by monthly or other
periodical payments. The latter practice may lead to eco-
nomic habits, while speculations too frequently create a spirit
of extravagance. — Juvenile Instructor, Vol. 36, pp. 722-723.

Evils of Mortgaging. What a -blessed condition would
result in Zion if the evil of going into debt, of mortgaging
the home, could be made very clear to every Latter-day Saint,
young and old! Well, indeed, would it be if some of the
burdens of the mortgage and. its accompanying sorrows,
could be felt and understood by every man who has in con-
templation the pawning of his home and land for money —

MARRIAGE, THE HOME AND FAMILY 385

that he might comprehend its slavery and terror — as thor-
oughly prior to the deed as he is sure to feel it after. In
that event, he might be warned in time to avoid the fatal
step, and awake as from a horrid dream to rejoice in his
deliverance. With few exceptions mortgages on private prop-
erty end in disaster to the giver. * * * What should we
think of men who would jeopardize the position and place
of the people of Zion ! The land of Zion is an inheritance,
and every man who mortgages his part of that inheritance
places in jeopardy the land. Thus not only disinheriting
himself, but committing a crime against the whole commu-
nity and the intelligence and wisdom that should charac-
terize every true Latter-day Saint. The result of such action
is appalling, and its contemplation something fearful to
every lover of the people of God, the more so when one pos-
sesses a knowledge of how widespread is the evil.

Mortgaging, then, looked upon in its true light, is not
only a private burden and detriment, in which a man's fam-
ily is thrown out of house and home, and his own abilities,
happiness and talents are destroyed or sadly diminished,
but it is positively a public crime, in a community like ours.
Disposing of inheritances in Zion partakes of the nature of
such action as individuals pulling up and selling for money
the gold bricks from the streets of the Celestial City. It is
intolerable, when looked upon in the right light ! The old
proverb: "Who goes a borrowing goes a sorrowing/' and
"Lying rides on debt's back," should appeal directly to every
man who contemplates mortgaging. But if personal appeal
is not strong enough/ let him remember that his home or
farm is likely to go for half its value to satisfy his debt, and
that his family who depend upon him will be left without
adequate shelter and support. But if neither reason is strong
enough to hold him back, let him remember Zion and his
inheritance therein, and' let her cause cry aloud to him to
bring him to a realizing sense of the triple crime that he is

26

386 GOSPEL DOCTRINE

about to commit, in order that his hand may be stayed, and
he saved the humiliation, worry, anxiety and sorrow that
must inevitably overtake him, unless he repent. — Improve-
ment Era, Dec, 1901, Vol. 5, pp. 147.

Our First Duty to Our Household. I want to tell
you that we will be honest with you; we feel that it is the
first duty of Latter-day Saints to take care of themselves and
of their poor ; and then, if we can extend it to others, and
as wide and as far as we can extend charity and assistance
to others that are not members of the Church, we feel that
it is our duty to do it. But first look after the members of
our own household. The man who will not provide for
his own house, as one of old has said, is worse than an
infidel.— Apr. C. R., 1915, p. 10.

Unchastity, a Dominant Evil. The character of a
community or a nation is the sum of the individual qualities
of its component members. To say so is to voice at once an
ordinary platitude and an axiom of profound import. The
stability of a material structure depends upon the integrity
of its several parts and the maintenance of a proper correla-
tion of the units in harmony with the laws of forces. The
same may be said of institutions, systems, and organizations
in general.

Not alone is it fundamentally proper and in strict ac-
cord with both the spirit and the letter of the Divine Word,
but absolutely essential to the stability of the social order
that the marriage relation shall be defined and regulated
by secular law. Parties to the marriage contract must be
definitely invested with the responsibilities of *the status they
assume; and for fidelity to their obligations they are an-
swerable to each other, to society, and to their God.

Sexual union is lawful in wedlock, and if participated
in with right intent is honorable and sanctifying. But with-
out the bonds of marriage, sexual indulgence is a debasing
sin, abominable in the sight of Deity.

MARRIAGE, THE HOME AND FAMILY 387

Infidelity to marriage vows is a fruitful source of di-
vorce, with its long train of attendant evils, not the least of
which are the shame and dishonor inflicted on unfortunate
though innocent children. The dreadful effects of adultery
cannot be confined to the erring participants. Whether
openly known or partly concealed under the cloak of guilty
secrecy, the results are potent in evil influence. The im-
mortal spirits that come to earth to tabernacle in bodies of
flesh have the right to be well born, through parents who are
•free from the contamination of sexual vice.

It is a deplorable fact that society persists in holding
women to stricter account than men in the matter of sexual
offense. What shadow of excuse, not to speak of justifica-
tion, can be found for this outrageous and cowardly discrim-
ination ? Can moral defilement be any the less filthy and
pestilential in man than in women? Is a male leper less to
be shunned for fear of contagion than a* woman similarly
stricken ?

So far as woman sins it is inevitable that she shall suf-
fer, for retribution is sure, whether it be immediate or de-
ferred. But in so far as man's injustice inflicts upon her
the consequence of his offenses, he stands convicted of
multiple guilt. And man is largely responsible for the sins
against decency and virtue, the burden of which is too often
fastened upon the weaker participant in the crime. The
frightful prevalence of prostitution, and the tolerance and
even condonation with which the foul traffic is treated by so-
called civilized society, are black blots on the pages of cur-
rent history. * * *

Like many bodily diseases, sexual crime drags with it-
self a train of other ills. As the physical effects of drunk-
enness entail the deterioration of tissue, and disturbance of
vital functions, and so render the body receptive to any dis-
temper to which it may be exposed, and at the same time
lower the powers of resistance even to fatal deficiency, so

388 GOSPEL DOCTRINE

does unchastity expose the soul to divers spiritual maladies,
and rob it of both resistance and recuperative ability. The
adulterous generation of Christ's day were deaf to the voice
of truth, and through their diseased state of mind and
heart, sought after signs and preferred empty fable to the
message of salvation.

We accept without reservation or qualification the af-
firmation of Deity, through an ancient Nephite prophet:
"For I, the Lord God, delight in the chastity of women.
And whoredoms are an abomination before me; thus saith*
the Lord of Hosts." (Jacob 2:28.)

We hold that sexual sin is second only to the shedding
of innocent blood in the category of personal crimes; and
that the adulterer shall have no part in the exaltation of the
blessed.

We proclaim as the word of the Lord :

"Thou shalt not commit adultery :"

"He that looketh on a woman to lust after her, or if any
shall commit adultery in their hearts, they shall not have
the Spirit, but shall deny the faith." — Improvement Era,
June, 1918, Vol. 20, p. 738; Doc. and Cov. 63:16.

Degrees of Sexual Sin. There are said to be more
shades of green than of any other color, so also we are of
the opinion there are more grades or degrees of sin associ-
ated with the improper relationship of the sexes than of any
other wrong doing of which we have knowledge. They all
involve a grave offense — the sin against chastity, but in nu-
merous instances this sin is intensified by the breaking of
sacred covenants, to which is sometimes added deceit, intim-
idation or actual violence.

Much as all these sins are to be denounced and de-
plored, we can ourselves see a difference both in intent and
consequence between the offense of a young couple who,
being betrothed, in an unguarded moment, without premed-

MARRIAGE, THE HOME AND FAMILY 389

itation fall into sin, and that of the man, who, having entered
into holy places and made sacred covenants, plots to rob the
wife of his neighbor of her virtue either by cunning or force,
and accomplishes his vile intent.

Not only is there, a difference in these wrongs, judging
from the standpoint of intent, but also from that of the con-
sequences. In the first instance the young couple who have
transgressed can make partial amends by sincere repentance
and by marrying. One reparation, however, they cannot
make. They cannot restore the respect that they previously
held for each other; and too often as a consequence of this
loss of confidence their married life is clouded or embittered
by the fear that each has for the other, having once sinned,
may do .so again. In the other case, others are most disas-
trously involved, families are broken up, misery is forced
upon innocent parties, society is affected, doubt is thrown
upon the paternity of children, and from the standpoint of
gospel ordinances, the question of descent is clouded and
pedigrees become worthless; altogether, wrongs are com-
mitted both to the living and the dead, as well as to the yet
unborn, which it is out of the power of the offenders to re-
pair or make right.

Sometimes an argument is advanced to limit the pro-
visions of the law of God, as given in the Book of Doctrine
and Covenants, both with regard to punishment and to for-
giveness to those who have entered the House of the Lord
and received their endowments. This is not possible, as so
many of these provisions were given in revelations published
several years before the Saints were permitted to receive
these holy ordinances, indeed, before any temple was built.
The law as given, we believe to be general, appyling to all
the Saints. But undoubtedly when, in addition to the actual
offense against the laws' of chastity, covenants are broken,
then the punishment for the double offense will, either in this
life or that which is to come, be correspondingly greater

390 GOSPEL DOCTRINE

and more severe. — Juvenile Instructor, Nov. 15, 1902, Vol.
37, p. 688.

Purity. There is something in man, an essential part
of his mind, which recalls the events of the past, and the
words that we have spoken on various occasions. Words
which we spoke in our childhood we can readily bring to
mind. Words that we heard others speak in our infancy, we
can recall, though we may be advanced in years. We recall
words that were spoken in our youth and in our early man-
hood, as well as words that were spoken yesterday. May I
say to you that in reality a man cannot forget anything? He
may have a lapse of memory; he may not be able to recall
at the moment a thing that he knows, or words that he has
spoken ; he may not have the power at his will to call up
these events and words ; but let God Almighty touch the
mainspring of the memory, and awaken recollection, and you
will find then that you have not even forgotten a single idle
word that you have spoken. I believe the word of God to be
true, and" therefore, I warn the youth of Zion, as well as
those who are advanced in years, to beware of saying
wicked things, of speaking evil, and taking in vain the
name of sacred things and sacred beings. Guard your words,
that you may not offend even man, much less offend God.

We believe that God lives, and that he is judge of the
quick and the dead. We believe that his eye is upon the
world, and that he beholds his groveling, erring and weak
children upon this earth. We believe that we are here by
his design, and not by choice ; that we are here to fulfil a
destiny, and not to fulfil a whim, or for the gratification of
mortal lusts. We believe that we are immortal beings. We
believe in the resurrection of the dead, and that as Jesus
came forth from the grave to everlasting life, his Spirit and
body uniting again never more to- be * separated, so has he
opened the way for every son and daughter of Adam,

MARRIAGE, THE HOME AND FAMILY 391

whether living or dead, to come forth from the grave to a
newness of life, to become immortal souls, body and spirit,
united, never to be severed any more. We raise our voices
against prostitution, and against all forms of immorality.
We are not here to practice immorality of any kind. Above
all things, sexual immorality is most heinous in the sight of
God. It is on a par with murder itself, and God Almighty
fixed the penalty of the murderer at death: "Whoso shed-
deth man's blood, by man shall his blood be shed." Further-
more, he said that whosoever committed adultery should be
put to death. Therefore, we raise our voices against sexual
immorality, and against all manner of obscenity.

Then, we say to you who have repented of your sins,
who have been buried with Christ in baptism, who have been
raised from the liquid grave to newness of life, born of rhe
water and of the Spirit, and who have been made the chil-
dren of the Father, heirs of God and joint heirs with Jesus
Christ — we say to you, if you will observe the laws of God,
and cease to do evil, cease to be obscene, cease to be immoral,
sexually or otherwise, cease to be profane, cease to be infidel,
and have faith in God, believe in the truth and receive it, and
be honest before God' and man, that you will be set up on
high, and God will put you at the head, just as sure as you
observe these commandments. Whosoever will keep the
commandments of God, no matter whether it be you or any
other people, they will rise and not fall, they will lead and
not follow, they will go upward and not downward. God will
exalt them and magnify them before the nations of the earth,
and he will set the seal of his approval upon them, will name
them as his own. This is my testimony to you. — Improve-
ment Era, Vol. 6, p. 501, May, 1903.

Three Threatening Dangers. There are at least
three dangers that threaten the Church within, and the au-
thorities need- to awaken to the fact that the people should

392 GOSPEL DOCTRINE

be warned unceasingly against them. As I see these, they
are the flattery of prominent men in the world, false edu-
cational ideas, and sexual impurity.

But the third subject mentioned — personal purity, is
perhaps of greater importance than either of the other two.
We believe in one standard of morality for men and women.
If purity of life is neglected, all other dangers set in upon
us like the rivers of waters when the flood gates are opened.
—Improvement Era, Vol. 17, No. 5, p. 476. March, 1914.

The Gospel the Greatest Thing. One of the most
important duties devolving upon the Latter-day Saints is the
proper training and rearing of their children in the faith of
the gospel. The gospel is the greatest thing in all the world.
There is nothing to compare with it. The possessions of this
earth are of no consequence when compared with the bless-
ings of the gospel. Naked we came into the world, and
naked we will go out of the world, so far as earthly things
are concerned; for we must leave them behind; but the
eternal possessions which are ours through obedience to the
gospel of Jesus Christ do not perish — the ties that God has
created between me and those whom he has given to me,
and the divine authority which I enjoy through the holy
priesthood, these are mine throughout all eternity. No
power but sin, the transgression of the laws of God, can
take them from me. All these things are mine even after I
leave this probation. — Improvement Era, Vol. 21, pp. 102,
103, December, 1917.

Duty of Husband to Wife. If there is any man who
ought to merit the curse of Almighty God it is the man who
neglects the mother of his child, the wife of his bosom, the
one who has made sacrifice of her very life, over and over
again, for him and his children. That is, of course, assum-
ing that the wife is a pure and faithful mother and wife. —
Improvement Era, Vol. 21, p. 105, December, 1917.

Wives and Husbands in Eternity. We expect to

MARRIAGE, THE HOME AND FAMILY 393

have our wives and husbands in eternity. We expect our
children will acknowledge us as their fathers and mothers
in eternity. I expect this ; I look for nothing else. Without
it I could not be happy. The thought or belief that I should
be denied this privilege hereafter would make me miserable
from this moment. I never could be happy again without the
hope that I shall enjoy the society of my wives and children
in eternity. If I had not this hope, I should be of all men
most unhappy; "for if in this life only we have hope in
Christ, we are of all men most miserable." All who have
tasted of the influence of the Spirit of God, and have had
awakened within them a hope of eternal life, cannot be
happy unless they continue to drink of that fountain until
they are satisfied, and it is the only fountain at which they
can drink and be satisfied. — Deseret Weekly News, Vol. 33,
p. 131, 1884.

Importance of Filial Affection. Do not add to their
burdens by neglect, by extravagance or by misconduct.
Rather suffer that your right hand be cut off, or your eye
plucked out than that you would bring sorrow or anguish
to your parents because of your neglect of filial affection to
them. So children, remember your parents. After they
have nurtured you through the tender years of your infancy
and childhood, after they have fed and clothed and educated
you, after having given you a bed to rest upon and done all
in their power for your good, don't you neglect them when
they become feeble and are bowed down with the weight of
their years. Don't you leave them, but settle down near
them, and do all in your power to minister to their comfort
and well-being. — Improvement Era, Vol. 21, p. 105, Decem-
ber, 1917.

Family Government by Love. I learned in my child-
hood, as most children, probably, have learned, more or less
at least, that no love in all the world can equal the love of
a true mother.

394 GOSPEL DOCTRINE

I did not think in those days, and still I am at a loss to
know, how it would be possible for anyone to love her chil-
dren more truly than did my mother. I have felt sometimes,
how could even the Father love his children more than my
mother loved her children? It was life to me; it was
strength ; it was encouragement ; it was love that begot love
or likeness in myself. I knew she loved me with all her
heart. She loved her children with all her soul. She would
toil and labor and sacrifice herself day and night, for the
temporal comforts and blessings that she could meagerly
give, through the results of her own labors, to her children.
There was no sacrifice of self — of her own time, of her
leisure or pleasure, or opportunities for rest — that was con-
sidered for a moment, when it came in comparison with her
duty and her love to her children.

When I was fifteen years of age, and called to go to a
foreign country to preach the gospel — or to learn how, and
to learn it for myself — the strongest anchor that was fixed
in my life, and that helped to hold my ambition and my de-
sire steady, to bring me upon a level and keep me straight,
was that love which I knew she had for me who bore me
into the world.

Only a little boy, not matured at all in judgment, with-
out the advantage of education, thrown in the midst of the
greatest allurements and temptations that it was possible for
any boy or any man to be subjected to — and yet, whenever
these temptations became most alluring and most tempting
to me, the first thought that arose in my soul was this:
Remember the love of your mother. Rememlber how she
strove for your welfare. Remember how willing she was to
sacrifice her life for your good. Remember what she taught
you in your childhood and how she insisted upon your read-
ing the New Testament — the only book, except a few little
school books, that we had in the family, or that was within
reach of us at that time. This feeling toward my mother be-

MARRIAGE, THE HOME AND FAMILY 395

came a defense, a barrier between me and temptation, so
that I could turn aside from temptation and sin by the help
of the Lord and the love begotten in my soul, toward her
whom I knew loved me more than anybody else in all the
world, and more than any other living being could love me.

A wife may love her husband, but it is different to that
of the love of mother to her child. The true mother, the
mother who has the fear of God and the love of truth in
her soul, would never hide from danger or evil and leave her
child exposed to it. But as natural as it is for the sparks
to fly upward, as natural as it is to breathe the breath of
life, if there were danger coming to her child, she would
step between the child and that danger ; she would defend
her child to the uttermost. Her life would be nothing in
the balance, in comparison with the life of her child. That
is the love of true motherhood for children.

Her love for her husband would be different, for if
danger should come to him, as .natural as it would be for her
to step between her child and danger, instead, her disposi-
tion would be to step behind her husband for protection,
and that is the difference between the love of mother for chil-
dren and the love of wife for husband — there is a great dif-
ference between the two.

I have learned to place a high estimate upon the love
of mother. I have often said, and will repeat it, that the love
of a true mother comes nearer being like the love of God
than any other kind of love. The father may love his chil-
dren, too ; and next to the love that the mother feels for her
child, unquestionably and rightfully, too, comes the love that
the father feels for his child. But, as it has been illustrated
here by Brother Edward H. Anderson, the love of the father
is of a different character, or degree, to the love of the
mother for her child; illustrated by the fact he related here
of having the privilege of working with his boy, having him
in his presence, becoming more intimate with him, learning

396 GOSPEL DOCTRINE

his characteristics more clearly; becoming more familiar
and more closely related to him; the result of which was
that his love for his boy increased, and the love of the boy
increased for his father, for the same reason, merely because
of that closer association. So the child learns to love his
mother best, as a rule, when the mother is good, wise, pru-
dent, and intelligent, because the child is with her more,
they are more familiar with each other and understand each
other better.

Now, this is the thought that I desire to express : Fath-
ers, if you wish your children to be taught in the principles
of the gospel, if you wish them to love the truth and under-
stand it, if you wish them to be obedient to and united with
you, love them ! arid prove to them that you do love them
by your every word or act to them. For your own sake, for
the love that should exist between you and your boys —
however wayward they might be, or one or the other might
be, when you speak or talk to them, do it not in anger, do
it not harshly, in a condemning spirit. Speak to them
kindly; get them down and weep with them if necessary
and get them to shed tears with you if possible. Soften
their hearts ; get them to feel tenderly toward you. Use no
lash and no violence, but argue, or rather reason — ap-
proach them with reason, with persuasion and love un-
feigned. With these means, if you cannot gain your boys
and your girls, they will prove to be reprobate to you; and
there will be no means left in the world by which you can
win them to yourselves. But, get them to feel as you feel,
have interest in the things in which you take interest, to
love the gospel as you love it, to love one another as you
love them; to love their parents as the parents love the
children. You can't do it any other way. You can't do
it by unkindness ; you cannot do it by driving ; our children
are like we are ; we couldn't be driven ; we can't be driven
now. We are like some other animals that we know of in

MARRIAGE, THE HOME AND FAMILY 397

the world. You can coax them ; you can lead them, by hold-
ing out inducements to them, and by speaking kindly to them,
but you can't drive them; they won't be driven. We won't
be driven. Men are not in the habit of being driven ; they
are not made that way.

This is not the way that God intended, in the begin-
ning, to deal with his children — by force. It is all free love,
free grace. The poet expressed it in these words :

"Know this, that every soul is free,
To choose his course and what he'll be;
For this eternal truth is given,
That God will force no man to heaven."

You can't force your boys, nor your girls into heaven.
You may force them to hell, by using harsh means in the
efforts to make them good, when you yourselves are not as
good as you should be. The man that will be angry at his
boy, and try to correct him while he is in anger, is in the
greatest fault; he is more to be pitied and more to be con-
demned than the child who has done wrong. You can only
correct your children by love, in kindness, by love unfeigned,
by persuasion, and reason.

When I was a child, sometimes a wayward, disobedient
little boy — not that I was wilfully disobedient, but I would
forget what I ought to do ; I would go off with playful boys
and be absent when I should have been at home, and I would
forget to do things I was asked to do. Then I would go
home, feel guilty, know that I was guilty, that I had neg-
lected my duty and that I deserved punishment.

- On one occasion I had done something that was not just
right, and my mother said to me : "Now, Joseph, if you do
that again I shall have to whip you." Well, time went on,
and by and by, I forgot it, and I did something similar
again; and this is the one thing that I admired more, per-
haps, than any secondary thing in her ; it was that when she

398 GOSPEL DOCTRINE

made a promise she kept it. She never made a promise,
that I know of, that she did not keep.

Well, I was called to account. She said: "Now, I
told you. You knew that if you did this 1 would have to
whip you, for I said I would. I must do it. I do not want
to do it. It hurts me worse than it does you, but I must
whip you."

Well, she had a little rawhide, already there, and while
she was talking or reasoning with me, showing me how much
I deserved it and how painful it was to her, to inflict the
punishment I deserved, I had only one thought and that was :
"For goodness' sake, whip me; do not reason with me," for
I felt the lash of her just criticism and admonition a thou-
sand fold worse than I did the switch. I felt as if, when she
laid the lash on me, I had at least partly paid my debt and had
answered for my wrong doing. Her reasoning cut me down
into the quick ; it made me feel sorry to the very core !

I could have endured a hundred lashes with the raw-
hide better than I could endure a ten-minutes' talk in which
I felt and was made to feel that the punishment inflicted up-
on me was painful to her that I loved — punishment upon
my own mother! — Extracts from an address given at a
"Home Evening*' meeting in Granite Stake, 1909. Improve-
ment Era, Vol. 13, pp. 276-280.

The Home and the Child. But what are we doing
in our homes to train our children ; what to enlighten them ?
What to encourage them to make home their place of amuse-
ment, and a place where they may invite their friends for
study or entertainment? Have we good books, games,
music, and well-lighted, well-ventilated, warm rooms for
their convenience and pleasure? Do we take personal inter-
est in them and in their affairs? Are we providing them
with the physical knowledge, the mental food, the health-
ful exercise, and the spiritual purification, that wil enable

AMUSEMENTS AND FASHIONS 399

them to become pure and robust in body, intelligent and hon-
orable citizens, faithful and loyal Latter-day Saints?

We frequently neglect giving them any information
concerning their bodily well-being. In our cities we appear
to be providing our young people too much mental exercise,
and no physical diversion and work, while in our country
settlements, we seem to be overburdening them with bodily
labor, and in many cases doing little or nothing for their men-
tal development and recreation. Hence, in the one case they
seek forbidden places and pleasure, on account of too much
mental exercise ; and in another, because of too little.

Now then, are we studying their wants as we do our
business, and our farms and our animals? Are we looking
after them, and if necessary bringing them in from the street
when absent, and providing them in our homes with what
they lack? Or are we to a great extent neglecting these
things in the home and home training, and considering our
children of secondary value to horses and cattle and lands?

These are important points for consideration, and fath-
ers and mothers should honestly study them, and as hon-
estly answer them to their own satisfaction. We may well
invest means in the home for the comfort, convenience, en-
tertainment and training of our children. We may well give
our sons and daughters some time for recreation and di-
version, and some provision in the home for satisfying their
longing for legitimate physical and mental recreation, to
which every child is entitled, and which he will seek in the
street or in objectionable places, if it is not provided in the
home. In addition to this, and supplementary to the train-
ing in the home, it is to be hoped that our organizations will
as soon as possible provide every arrangement for legitimate
entertainment and recreation, physical and intellectual, that
will tend to attract our young people, and hold them interest-
ed, loyal and contented within the pale of our own influence
and organizations. — Imp. Era, Vol. 11, pp. 302-3, 1997-8.

CHAPTER XVII
Amusements and Fashions.

i

Youth Should Look Forward. Our youth should not
be left to spend their time almost entirely in the mad whirl
of pleasure and amusement, without a thought of advancing
years with the attendant bodily ailments and physical infirm-
ities which are bound to come. They should be given to
understand that what are generally considered as the pleas-
ures of youth are on the wing, and will. soon pass, leaving
in their rear only sad remembrances of wasted opportunities
that cannot be recalled. They should not be permitted to
waste their time and their parents' substance in frivolous
pastime and riotous living, which can only result in vicious
or evil habits being formed. — Juvenile Instructor, Vol. 52,
January, 1917, p. 19.

Proper Amusements. Our amusements should be
characterized by their wholesome social environments. We
should have proper regard to the character of those with
whom we associate in places of amusement ; and we should
be governed by a high sense of responsibility to our parents,
to our friends and to the Church. We should know that the
pleasures which we enjoy are such as have upon them the
stamp of divine approval. They should be endorsed' by our
parents and by our religious associates, and by those true
principles which should always regulate our intercourse with
one another in Church membership. Amusements which,
in themselves, and in commendable social surroundings, may
be proper and wholesome, should be avoided unless associ-
ates are unquestionable and the places are reputable and are
conducted under proper restraints.

There are limits in our recreations beyond which we

AMUSEMENTS AND FASHIONS 401

cannot safely go. They should be guarded in character and
curtailed in frequency to avoid excess. They should not
occupy all, nor even the greater part of our time; indeed,
they should be made incidental to the duties and obligations
of life, and never be made a controlling motive or factor in
our hopes and ambitions. There are so many dangers lurk-
ing in those amusements, and the fascination for them which
take hold upon the lives of our young people, sometimes to
the very possession of them, that they should be carefully
guarded and warned against the temptations and evils that
are likely to ensnare them, to their destruction. — Juvenile
Instructor, Vol. 49, June, 1914, pp. 380, 381.

Proper Character of Amusements. The character
and variety of our amusements have so much to do with the
welfare and character of our young people that they should
be guarded with the utmost jealousy for the preservation
of the morals and stamina of the youth of Zion.

In the first place, they should not be excessive; and
young people should be discouraged from giving themselves
up to the spirit and frivolity of excessive mirth. No Latter-
day Saint needs to be told that two or three dances a week
for his children are out of all sense of reason. Too fre-
quent dances are not only injurious to stability of character,
but they are highly detrimental to good health; and wher-
ever possible other amusements than the ball room should be
introduced into the lives of our young people. They should
be trained to appreciate more and more amusements of a
social and intellectual character. Home parties, concerts
that develop the talents of youth, and public amusements that
bring together both young and old, are preferable to the ex-
cessive practice of dancing.

In the second place, our amusements should be consist-
ent with our religious spirit of fraternity and religious devo-
tion. In too many instances the ball room is devoid of our
supplication for Divine protection. Our dancing should be,

27

402 GOSPEL DOCTRINE

as far as possible, under the supervision of some Church or-
ganization, and we should be scrupulously careful to open
the dance by prayer. * * * The question of amusements
is one of such far-reaching importance to the welfare of the
Saints that the presiding authorities of every ward should
give it their most careful attention and consideration.

In the third place, our amusements should interfere as
little as possible with the work of the school-room. It is
very desirable that the early education of our young people
should be carried on with as little interruption as possible;
and frequent dances during the school season are detrimental
both to the body and to the mind.

Lastly, it is to # be feared that in many homes, parents
abandon all regulation respecting the amusement of their
children, and set them adrift to find their fun wherever and
whenever they can. Parents should never lose control of the
amusements of their children during their tender years, and
should be scrupulously careful about the companionship of
their young people in places of amusement. — Juvenile In-
structor, Vol. 39, March 1, 1904, pp. 144, 145.

Social Duties. The city people have become accus-
tomed to living near neighbors for years without associating
together. There are instances where good people, well ac-
quainted in business and upon the street, have lived neigh-
bors for twenty-five or more years, and yet not invited each
other to their homes, to take dinner together, nor to have a
social hour or evening. They live so near each other that
they can almost shake hands, from door to door, yet never
call, nor associate together; they are perfectly exclusive.
That is not a wise nor a good way, especially when, as Lat-
ter-day Saints, we should be looking after the welfare of
mankind, by preaching the gospel in word and in deed.
Would it not be much better if we arranged a little dinner,
or invited our neighbor to come and join us in a little social,
to become acquainted and make him feel we are not Strang-

AMUSEMENTS AND FASHIONS 403

ers to him, nor he to us ? And let us remember the defini-
tion which Christ sanctioned of neighbor, as well as the re-
quirement : He that showeth mercy unto me is my neighbor,
and the commandment is: Thou shalt love thy neighbor as
thyself.

I hope we shall do better. But there is really little so-
ciability among us, and there is an exclusiveness that is not
in keeping with the warmth of the gospel. We do not think
enough of each other; we do not care for each other; we
take little or no notice of each other; and finally, we pass
each other on the street without the slightest recognition.
We scarcely bow to a brother, unless we are really intimate
with him. That is not the spirit that belongs to "Mormon-
ism." It is contrary to that friendship and sociability that
ought to characterize Latter-day Saints. I believe in the
broadest, most charitable, the kindest and most loving spirit
that it is possible for broad-minded and big-souled men to
exercise or to possess; and that this spirit ought to be the
spirit possessed and diffused by the Saints everywhere.

Let us, then, gather in the honest in heart, and treat
them and one another with the spirit of warmth and love
characteristic of the gospel. Then talk about the unfortu-
nate, the drunken, the weak, the erring! Do not shun them,
either. They ought to be saved as well as everybody else;
and, if it is possible, let us save them, too, as well as the
worthy, the good and the pure. Let us save the sinner, and
bring him to a knowledge of the truth, if possible.

Our Mutual Improvement Associations are invited to
make a specialty of this social work; the bishops should
lend their aid to the officers in selecting and setting apart
capable and experienced missionaries, as well as ward teach-
ers, who should devote their energies, among other things,
to the development of a more social spirit among the people.
The indifferent youth, as well as the stranger and the
friendless, in our midst, should be made welcome at our

404 GOSPEL DOCTRINE

gatherings, and be induced to feel at home among the peo-
ple of God. And then, let it be remembered, every family,
every person, has a duty in this line. Because men or wQmen
are not ward or association officers is no good reason why
they should be exempt from the common social amenities
of life, nor why they should not be subject to doing good
temporally, spiritually jand socially. — Improvement Era,
Vol. 7, October, 1904, p. 957.

The Danger of Pleasure Hunting. In order that a
young man may make up his mind what course in life to
take he must pay some thought on where he is going in the
long run ; what shall be the condition he would like to enjoy
through life, and particularly the end towards which he
would like to work. Otherwise it will be hard for him to
steer his actions from day to day towards the goal of his
ambition.

Calmly viewing the hundreds of sayings to be found in
good books, and hearing also the experiences and warnings
of many more wise men who live in our time and settle-
ments, who are exemplary shepherds of the people in our
many Church organizations, and who are constantly giving
warning against excessive pleasure-seeking, the thoughtful
young man must confess that pleasure is not the goal that
he would seek — that the man would seek who desires to
make the best out of life.

The wise man is, therefore, going to steer his course
away from the living death of pleasure-seeking. He is not
going into bondage or debt to buy automobiles and other
costly equipages to keep pace with the rush of fashionable
pleasure-seeking, in this respect. He is not going to borrow
money to satisfy the popular craze for traveling in Europe
or in our own country with no purpose in view but pleasure.
He is not going to grow nervous and gray in a struggle for
means that his wife and daughter, for mere pleasure, may
spend the summer at costly, fashionable resorts, or in dis-

AMUSEMENTS AND FASHIONS 405

taut lands. It is true that there are many in our commu-
nity who do not appear to be wise, and who are doing just
these and other foolish acts for so-called pleasure.

The result of this hunt for pleasure and excitement and
for keeping - pace with what only the very wealthy can but
ought not to do, is that many are forced to undertake all
kinds of illegitimate schemes to obtain money to gratify the
tendency. Hence the growth of financial immorality. Many
underhanded methods are adopted to obtain means, and even
cheating and lying and deceiving friends and neighbors
are frequently resorted to in order that money may be ob-
tained to gratify this inordinate desire for pleasure. The
story is told of one good lady who got flour, at her grocer's
on credit, and sold it for cash at a bargain to get money to
go pleasure-seeking. Thus the morals are corrupted. This
applies to rich and poor alike.

You men who are sensible fathers, is this course worth
while ?

Young men who have a goal in sight, is this the course
to take to fit your purpose and to get the best results out of
life?

Without discussing wealth and fame, shall we not call
a halt in this pleasure craze, and go about the legitimate bus-
iness of true Latter-day Saints, which is to desire and
strive to be of some use in the world? Shall we not instead
do something to increase the genuine joy and welfare and
virtue of mankind as well as our own by helping to bear the
burdens under which the toilers are groaning, by rendering
loving, devoted and unselfish service to our fellow men? —
Improvement Era, Vol. 12, July, 1909, p. 744.

Harmful Effects of Bad Books. It would be diffi-
cult to estimate the harmful influences upon the thoughts,
feelings, and actions of the young, brought about by the
practice of reading dime novels. Books constitute a sort of
companionship to everyone who reads, and they create within

406 GOSPEL DOCTRINE

the heart feelings either for good or for bad. It sometimes
happens that parents are very careful about the company
which their children keep and are yet very indifferent about
the books they read. In the end the reading of a bad book
will bring about evil associates.

It is not only the boy who reads this strange, weird and
unnaturally, exciting literature that .is affected by its influ-
ence, but in time he influences others. This literature be-
comes the mother of all sorts of evil suggestions that ripen
into evil practices and" bring about an unnatural and debased
feeling which is ever crowding out the good in the human
heart and giving place to the bad. It was Shelley who said
that "strange thoughts beget strange deeds," and' when our
children are reading books that are creating strange and un-
usual and undesirable thoughts in their minds we need not be
surprised to learn that they have committed some unusual,
some strange, or unnatural act. It is in the thoughts and
feelings that we have to combat the evils and temptations
of the world, and the purification of our thoughts and feel-
ings should be made the special effort of every father and
mother. Fuller once wrote, "It seems my soul is like a filthy
pond where fish die soon and frogs live long." It is re-
markable how easy it is to learn sin and how hard' it is to
forget it.

A story is told of an English officer in India, who one
day went to the book shelf to take down a book. As he
reached his hand up over the volume his finger was bitten
by an adder. After a few hours the finger began to swell.
Later on the swelling went into his arm, and finally the
whole body was affected, and in a few days the officer was
dead. There are adders concealed in many a cheap and
trashy book, and they are always common in dime novels.
Their effects upon our souls are poisonous, and in time they
are sure to produce a moral and spiritual death. * * *
The influence of these novels is all the more dan-

AMUSEMENTS AND FASHIONS 407

gerous because the feelings and thoughts which they
engender in the heart and mind are more or less hid-
den, and the evil consequence of such reading frequently
does not manifest itself until some overt and horrible act is
the result of months and sometimes years of imagination
and wonderment. Let the Saints beware of the books that
enter their homes, for their influences may be as poisonous
and deadly as the adder which brought death to the English
officer in India. — Juvenile Instructor, May 1, 1902, Vol. 37,
p. 275.

Proper Reading. There is altogether too much novel
reading of that class of novels which teaches nothing useful,
and only tends to the excitement of the emotions. Exces-
sive novel reading we all know is detrimental to the intellec-
tual development of those who engage in it, and the wise and
those* who seek advancement might well give more time to
useful, educational works — books that would enlighten the
reader on history, biography, religion, and other important
subjects which all well-informed people are expected to un-
derstand.

Many of our young people, and" some older ones, too, are
not familiar with their own religion nor with the beautiful
and striking doctrines of the gospel with which it is so laden.
This class devote more time to reading useless or sensational
books than they do to the study and contemplation of works
that would familiarize them with the principles of the gospel.
If they were better informed in this line, and understood the
saving doctrines and every-d'ay questions of their religion,
more than they do, they would not be trapped by false teach-
ings, false leaders, and advocates of cults that are false.
They would not be misled as some of them are. — Improve-
ment Era, May, 1909, Vol. 12, p. 561.

Raffling and Gambling. Is it proper to raffle prop-
erty for the benefit of missionaries ? No ; raffling is a game

408 GOSPEL DOCTRINE

of chance, and hence leads to gambling; for that reason, if
for no other, it should not be encouraged among the young
men of the Church. President Young declared raffling to be
a modified name of gambling; said that "as Latter-day Saints
we cannot afford to sacrifice moral principles to financial
gain," and advised the sisters through the Woman's Ex-
ponent not to raffle. President Lorenzo Snow endorsed
and approved of these sentiments ; and I have often
expressed my unqualified disapproval of raffling; the
General Sunday School Board have declared against it;
and finally the state law makes it unlawful to raffle with
dice ; and if it is unlawful with dice, in principle, is it not just
as injurious with any other device? With all these objec-
tions, should it Hot be clear to anyone that raffling horses,
quilts, bicycles and other property is not sanctioned by the
moral law nor approved by the general Church authorities.
But it continues just the same, and if you do not believe in it,
you should refuse to patronize it, so helping the cause. Now,
how shall we aid the missionary who wishes to sell a horse,
or what not? Let everybody give a dollar, and let the donors
decide, by vote, to what worthy man, not of their number,
the horse shall be given. No chance about that — it is pure
decision, and it helps the people who wish to buy chances
solely for the benefit of the missionary to discourage the
gambling propensities of their natures. However, here
is an additional thought : The element of chance enters very
largely into everything we undertake, and it should be re-
membered that the spirit in which we do things decides very
largely whether we are gambling or are entering into legiti-
mate business enterprises. — Improvement Era, Vol. 6, Feb-
ruary, 1903, p. 308.

Games of Chance. To Whom It May Concern:
Among the vices of the present, age gambling is very gen-
erally condemned. Gambling under its true name is for-
bidden by law, and is discountenanced by the self-respecting

AMUSEMENTS AND FASHIONS 409

elements of society. Nevertheless, in numerous guises the
demon of chance is welcomed in the home, in fashionable
clubs, and at entertainments for worthy charities, even with-
in the precincts of sacred edifices. Devices for raising money
by appealing to the gambling instinct are common acces-
sories at church sociables, ward fairs, and the like.

Whatever may be the condition elsewhere, this custom
is not to be sanctioned within this Church ; and any or-
ganization allowing such is in opposition to the counsel and
instruction of the general authorities of the Church.

Without attempting to specify or particularize the many
objectionable forms given to this evil practice amongst us,
we say again to the people that no kind of chance game,
guessing contest, or raffling device can be approved in any -
entertainment under the auspices of our Church organiza-
tions.

The desire to get something of value for little or noth-
ing is pernicious; and any proceeding that strengthens that
desire is an effective aid to the gambling spirit, which has
proved a veritable demon of destruction to thousands. Risk-
ing a dime in the hope of winning a dollar in any game of
chance is a species of gambling.

Let it not be thought that raffling articles of value, of-
fering prizes to the winners in guessing-contests, the use of
machines of chance, or any other device of the kind is to be
allowed or excused because the money so obtained is to be
used for a good purpose. The Church is not to be supported
in any degree by means obtained through gambling.

Let the attention of stake and ward officers, and those
in charge of the auxiliary organizations of the Church be
directed to what has been written on this subject and to this
present reminder. An article over the signature of the
President of the Church was published in the Juvenile In-
structor, October 1, 1902 (Volume 37, p. 592), in which

410 GOSPEL DOCTRINE

were given citations from earlier instruction and advice to
the people on this subject. For convenience, part of that
article is repeated here. In reply to a question as to whether
raffling and games of chance are justifiable when the pur-
poses to be accomplished are good, this was said : "We say
emphatically, No. Raffle is only a modified name of gam-
ble."

President Young once said to Sister Eliza R. Snow:
"Tell the sisters not to raffle. If the mothers raffle, the
children will gamble. Raffling is gambling." Then it is
added : "Some say, What shall we do ? We have quilts on
hand — we cannot sell them, and we need means to supply
our treasury, which we can obtain by raffling for the bene-
fit of the poor. Rather let the quilts rot on the shelves than
adopt the old adage, 'The end will sanctify the means/ As
Latter-day Saints, we cannot afford to sacrifice moral prin-
ciple to financial gain." — Improvement Era, December, 1908,
Vol. 12, p. 143.

The Evil of Cards. But, you say, we must have recre-
ation ; what shall we do ? Turn to domestic enterprises, and
to the gaining of useful knowledge of the gospel. Let the
love of reading good and useful books be implanted in the
hearts of the young, let them be trained to take pleasure and
recreation in history, travel, biography, conversation and
classic story. Then there are innocent games, music, songs,
and literary recreation. What would you think of the man
who would argue for whisky and beer as a common beverage
because it is necessary for people to drink? He is per^
haps little worse than the man who would place cards in
the hands of my children — whereby they would foster the
spirit of chance and gambling leading down to destruction
— because they must have recreation. I would call the first
a vicious enemy, and refer him to water to drink; and the
latter an evil spirit in the guise of innocence, and refer him

AMUSEMENTS AND FASHIONS 411

to recreation containing* no germs of spiritual disease lead-
ing* to the devil !

Let our evenings be devoted to innocent amusements in
the home, and let all chance games be banished from our
families, and' only recreation indulged in that is free from
gambling and the gambling spirit. And let excessive card-
playing, and the person who strolls about among neighbors
at all hours of the night and day encouraging the evil, be
put far from us. Just as sure as we encourage this evil it
will bring other grievous troubles in its wake, and those who
indulge excessively will lose the spirit of the gospel, and go
to temporal and spiritual ruin.

Young people in their recreations should strive to form
a love for that which will not be injurious. It is not true
that only that recreation .can be enjoyed that is detrimental
to the body and spirit. We should train ourselves to find
pleasure in that which invigorates, not stupefies and de-
stroys the body; that which leads upward and not down;
that which brightens, not dulls and stunts the intel-
lect; that which elevates and exalts the spirit, not that
clogs and depresses it. So shall we please the Lord, en-
hance our own enjoyment, and save ourselves and our chil-
dren from impending sins, at the root of which, like the evil
genius, lurks the spirit of cards and gaming. — Improvement
Era, Vol. 14, June, 1911, pp. 735-8.

Wasting Time With Cards. It is no uncommon
thing for women, young and middle-aged, to spend whole
afternoons, and many of them, evenings as well, in playing
cards, thus wasting hours and days of precious time in this
useless and unprofitable way. Yet those same people, when
approached, declare they have no time to spend as teachers
in the Sabbath schools, and no time to attend either Sunday
schools or meetings. Their church duties are neglected for
lack of time, yet they spend hours, day after day, at card's.
They have thereby encouraged and become possessed of a

412 GOSPEL DOCTRINE

spirit of indolence, and their minds are filled with the vile
drunkenness, hallucination, charm and fascination, that take
possession of the habitual card-player to the exclusion of all
spiritual and religious feeling. Such a spirit detracts from
all sacred thought and sentiment. These players at length
do not quite know whether they are Jews, Gentiles, or Saints,
and they do not care a fig.

While a simple game of cards in itself may be harmless,
it is a fact that by immoderate repetition it ends in an infat-
uation for chance schemes, in habits of excess, in waste of
precious time, in a dulling and stupor of the mind, and in
the complete destruction of religious feeling. These are seri-
ous results, evils that should and must be avoided by the
Latter-day Saints. Then again, there is the grave danger
that lurks in persistent card playing, which begets the spirit
of gambling, of speculation, and that awakens the dangerous
desire to get something for nothing. — Improvement Era,
Vol. 6, August, 1903, p. 779.

Card Playing. One's character may be determined in
some measure by the quality of one's amusements. Men
and women of industrious, business-like, and thoughtful
habits care little for frivolous pastimes, for pleasures that
are sought for their own sake. It is not easy to imagine
that leading men in the Church could find any pleasure that
was either inspiring or helpful at the card table ; indeed the
announcement that a president of a stake, bishop of a ward,
or other leading official of the Church was fond of card play-
ing would be a shock to every sense of propriety even among
young people who are not seriously inclined to the duties and
responsibilities of life. Such a practice would be looked
upon as incompatible with the duties and responsibilities of
a religious life. Even business men, as a rule, are distrust-
ful of business associates whose inclinations engage them in
frequent card playing.

AMUSEMENTS AND FASHIONS 413

But it may be said that the same objections do not hold
good in respect to young people who do not take life so
seriously; but the evil is that young people who indulge in
the frivolous and vicious pastime of card playing are never
likely to take life seriously unless they forsake such ques-
tionable pleasures early in life. It is the serious and thought-
ful man and woman who are most likely to assume the
higher and nobler responsibilities of life, and their tastes
and pleasures are never satisfied by means of a deck of cards.

Card playing is an excessive pleasure ; it is intoxicating
and, therefore, in the nature of a vice. It is generally the
companion of the cigarette and the wine glass, and the latter
lead to the poolroom and the gambling hall. Few men and
women indulge in the dangerous pastime of the card table
without compromising the business affairs and the higher
responsibilities of life. Tell me what amusements you like
best and whether your amusements have become a ruling
passion in your life, and I will tell you what you are. Few
indulge frequently in card playing in whose lives it does not
become a ruling passion.

Cards are the most perfect and common instrumental-
ities of the gambler that have been devised, and the com-
panionship of cards, unlike the companionship of most other
games, is that of the gambling den and the saloon. But cards
do not stand alone in their enticement to evil. Any game
that ultimately leads to questionable society, because it is the
chief pleasures of such society, should be excluded from the
home. There are innocent games enough to satisfy the re-
quired pleasures of the home without encouraging card
playing. — Juvenile Instructor, Vol. 38, September 1, 1903,
p. 529.

Stop Card Playing. I am told that the prevalence of
card parties in the homes of the Latter-day Saints is much
greater than is supposed by those whom society people never
think of inviting to make the card table the source of an

414 GOSPEL DOCTRINE

evening's pastime. The presiding authorities are not in-
vited to these card parties, and, as a rule, are not permitted
to witness them, simply because those who give such parties
feel that a deck of cards in the hands of a faithful servant
of God is a satire upon religion.

I have heard that some who are called to officiate in
holy ordinances have, when absent from the House of the
Lord or when tardy in arriving, excused themselves because
of the time occupied in giving or attending a card party.
Those who thus indulge are not fit to administer in sacred
ordinances. They are no more worthy than others who vio-
late good morals in any respect. They should be excused.

I am told that young people offer as an excuse for
such questionable pastime the accusation that cards are
played in the homes of certain leading men in the Church.
Bishops, however, ought never to be deterrred in their ef-
forts to suppress the evil by counter complaints of this kind.
The bishop has the same right to inquire, through the
means of his teachers, into the pleasures of the homes of
the highest authorities of the Church as he has into those
of its most humble members. If it be true that card playing
is prevalent in the Church, the bishops are charged with the
responsibility of the evil, and it is their duty to see that it is
abolished, or that men and women who encourage it be
brought to account before their brethren and sisters for the
pernicious example they are setting before the youth of
Zion. Certainly no bishop can report his ward in good con-
dition where such a practice prevails.

Presidents of stakes are not without their responsibility
in this matter, and at the general priesthood meetings of the
stakes they should make searching inquiry of the bishops
concerning card parties in the homes of the Saints. It is
an easy matter for every bishop to know through the medium
of the ward teachers, whether there are any practices in the
homes of the people inconsistent with the mission of "Mor-

AMUSEMENTS AND FASHIONS 415

monism," and card playing is certainly inconsistent with
that mission. No man who is addicted to card playing
should be called to act as a ward teacher, such men cannot
be consistent advocates of that which they do not themselves
practice.

The card table has been the scene of too many quar-
rels, the birthplace of too many hatreds, the occasion of too
many murders to admit one word of justification for the ly-
ing, cheating spirit which it too often engenders in the hearts
of its devotees.

My frequent and emphatic expressions on this subject
are the result of the alarm I have felt over the. well founded
reports that have come to me concerning the prevalence of
card playing in the homes of some who profess to be Latr
ter-day Saints. Upon every officer in the Church responsi-
bility in any way for the dangers of the card table is placed,
and placed heavily, the duty of doing all that he or she pos-
sibly can in a prayerful and earnest manner to eradicate
the evil. Let us be fully conscious of the old adage which
says that "The devil likes to souse whatever is wet," and
stop card playing in the home before it reaches the gam-
blers' table. — Juvenile Instructor, Vol. 38, Sept. 15, 1903,
p. 561.

Pernicious Nature of Card Playing. Card playing
is a game of chance, and because it is a game of chance it
has its tricks. It encourages tricks; its devotees measure
their success at the table by their ability through devious and
dark ways to win. It creates a spirit of cunning and devises
hidden and secret means, and cheating at cards is almost
synonymous with playing at cards.

Again, cards have a bad reputation and they are the
known companions of bad men. If no other reason existed %
for shunning the card table, its reputation alone should serve
as a warning. It may be conceded that superb skill is often
acquired in this game of chance, but this skill itself endan-

416 GOSPEL DOCTRINE

gers the moral qualities of the possessor and leads him on
to questionable practices.

Such games as checkers and chess are games more of
fixed rules, whose application are open and freer from cun-
ning devices. Such games do not intoxicate like cards and
other games of chance. — Juvenile Instructor, Vol. 38, Octo-
ber 1, 1903, p. 591.

Cards in the Home. But if cards are played in the
home and under the eye of an anxious and loving parent,
what harm can come from it all? is asked. Most vices in
the beginning take on attractive and innocent appearing
garbs, and a "careful examination of the career of many an
unfortunate man will reveal the first step of his misfortune
in some "innocent pastime" whose, vice rarely manifests it-
self in its infancy. There are different spirits in the world
and the gambling spirit is one of them, and cards have been
from time immemorial the most common and universal means
of gratifying that spirit. An "innocent game of cards" is
the innocent companion of an innocent glass of wine and the
playmate of tricksters.

Again, all amusements become pernicious when pursued
excessively. No game in the world has been played a thou-
sandth part of the time, aye all the games in the world have
not consumed a thousandth part of the time, that cards have
taken. The game itself leads to excessiveness ; it is the en-
emy of industry; it is the foe of economy; and the boon
companion of the Sabbath-breaker. The best possible ex-
cuse that any one can render for playing cards is that there
is a possible escape from the dangers to which it leads ; and
the best explanation that people can give for such a vice is
the adventurous spirit of man that delights in that which
' is hazardous to his physical and moral safety. — Juvenile
Instructor, Vol. 38, Oct. 1, 1903, p. 593.

Evil Fashions. In my sight the present-day fashions

AMUSEMENTS AND FASHIONS 417

are abominable, suggestive of evil, calculated to arouse base
passion and lust, and to engender lasciviousness, in the
hearts of those who follow the fashions, and of those who
tolerate them. Why? Because women are imitating the
very customs of a class of women who have resorted to that
means to aid them to sell their souls. It is infamous, and I
hope the daughters of Zion will not descend to these per-
nicious ways, customs and fashions, for they are demoraliz-
ing and damnable in their effect. — Oct. C. R., 1913, p. 8.

Improper Fashions. Please set the example before
your sisters that God would have them follow. When we
teach people to observe the laws of God and to honor the
gifts that are bestowed upon them in the covenants of the
gospel of Jesus Christ, we don't want you teachers to go out
and set an example before your sisters that will destroy their
faith in our teachings. I hope you will take that to heart,
for it has a meaning to it. I am talking to the teachers among
the sisters. We hear it reported, from time to time, that
some of the teachers that are sent out among our sisters not
only do not set the example that they ought to set, but they
set the example that they should not set for our sisters ; they
teach them by example to break the word of wisdom, rather
than to keep it. They teach them to mutilate their garments,
rather than to keep them holy and undefined, by setting the
example before them, and we can tell you the names if you
want to know. I am not scolding; I don't want it to be
understood that I am rinding fault. I am only telling a sol-
emn truth, and I am sorry that I have it to say, but I want
it to be distinctly understood. We see some of our good sis-
ters coming here to the temple occasionally decorated in the
latest and most ridiculous fashions that ever disgraced the
human form divine. They do not seem to realize that they
are coming to the house of God, and we have to forbid them
entrance, or find fault with them, and they go away grieved
and say sometimes, "We don't want to go there any more/'

28

418 GOSPEL DOCTRINE

Why? Because they come unprepared, like the man who
was found at the feast without the wedding garment, who
also had to be turned out (Matt. 22 : 1-14). We have to turn
them out occasionally, because they will not hearken to the
counsel that has been given to them. — Oct. C. R., 1914, p.
130.

Exclusive Clubs Among Church Members. There
is no need of exclusive clubs among the Latter-day Saints.
The many auxiliary organizations should be made to supply
every legitimate public, and social amusement of the young
people, and, in addition, to the regular Church and quorum
meetings, should meet every religious and ethical educational
need of our community. — Improvement Era, Vol. 12, Feb-
ruary, 1909, p. 313.

A Lesson for the Boys. Self-respect requires, among
other things, that one shall behave like a true gentleman, in
a house of worship. No self-respecting person will go to a
house devoted to the service of God to whisper, gossip and
visit ; rather, it is one's duty to put on self-restraint, to give
one's undivided attention to the speaker, and concentrate the
mind upon his words that his thoughts may be grasped to
our benefit and profit.

Among the strong helps to gain self-respect are per-
sonal purity and proper thoughts which are the basis of all
proper action. I wish that all young men could appreciate
the value there is in this practice, and in giving their youth-
ful days to the service of the Lord. Growth, development,
progress, self-respect, the esteem and admiration of men
naturally follow such a course in youth. The Savior set a
striking example in this matter, and was early about his
Father's business. He did not leave it until his older years,
but even as early as twevle he had developed so far in this
line that he was able to teach men of wisdom and doctors
of knowledge in the f emplc. Samuel, the prophet, had so
prepared himself by a pure, self-respecting childhood that he

AMUSEMENTS AND FASHIONS 419

was perfectly attuned to the whisperings of God. The shep-
herd youth David was chosen above his older brethren to
serve in high places in the Master's cause. Other great
characters in history were also selected early in life; and
the best men in all ages gave their young manhood to the
service of God who honored them abundantly with com-
mendation and approval. In more modern times the Lord
chose Joseph Smith in early youth to be the founder of the
new and glorious dispensation of the gospel. Brigham
Young was but a youth when he determined to devote his
life to the Church ; John Taylor, Wilford Woodruff, and in
fact all the early founders of the Church devoted their youth
and manhood to the cause of Zion. You may look around
you today, and who are the leaders among the people but
those who early and zealously devoted themselves to the
faith? And you may foretell who are to be the leaders by
observing the boys who show self-respect and purity and
who are earnest in all good works. The Lord will not choose
men from any other class of his people and exalt them into
prominence. The opposite course, waiting to serve the
Lord until the wild oats of youth are sown, is reprehensible.
There is always something lacking in the man who spends
his youth in wickedness and sin, and then turns to right-
eousness in later years. Of course, the Lord honors his re-
pentance, and it is better far that a man should late turn from
evil than to continue in sin all his days, but the fact is clear
that the best part of his life and strength are wasted, and
there remains only poor, broken service to offer the Lord.
There are regrets and heartburnings in repenting late in
life from the follies and sins of youth, but there are consola-
tion and rich reward in serving the Lord in the vigorous
days of early manhood.

Self-respect, deference for sacred things, and personal
purity are the beginnings and the essence of wisdom. The
doctrines of the gospel, the Church restraint, are like school-

420 GOSPEL DOCTRINE

masters to keep us in the line of duty. If it were not for
these schoolmasters, we would perish and be overcome by
the evil about us. We see men who have freed themselves
from Church rstraint and from the precious doctrines of the
gospel, who perish about us every day ! They boast of free-
dom, but are the slaves of sin.

Let me admonish you to permit the gospel schoolmaster
to teach you self-respect and to keep you pure and free
from secret sins that bring not only physical punishment,
but sure spiritual death. You cannot hide the penalty which
God has affixed to them — a penalty often worse than death.
It is the loss of self-respect, it is physical debility, it is insan-
ity, indifference to all powers that are good and noble — all
these follow in the wake of the sinner in secret, and of the
unchaste. Unchastity, furthermore, not only fixes its pen-
alty on the one who transgresses, but reaches out unerring
punishment to the third and fourth generation, making not
only the transgressor a wreck, but mayhap involving scores
of people in his direct line of relationship, disrupting family
ties, breaking the hearts of parents, and causing a black
stream of sorrow to overwhelm their lives.

Such a seeming simple thing, then, as proper conduct
in a house of worship leads to good results in many respects.
Good conduct leads to self-respect, which creates purity of
thought and action. Pure thought and noble action lead to a
desire to serve God in the strength of manhood and to be-
comes subservient to the schoolmasters, Church restraint,
and the doctrines of the gospel of Christ. — Improvement
Era, Vol. 9, 1905-6, pp. 337-339.

CHAPTER XVIII

Love Your Enemies.

We Are Not Discouraged. We are not disheartened,
we are not discouraged, we are not faint-hearted. We be-
lieve in the Lord and we know that he is mighty to save, that
he has guided the destinies of this people from the first mo-
ment until the present, and that it is not in consequence of
the wisdom of men that we have escaped the plots, schemes
and machinations of our enemies, and that we have been
permitted to live and grow in the land, to become what we
are, but it is through the wisdom, mercy and blessing of Him
who rules the destinies not only of men but of nations. We
owe all to God; we extend our thankfulness and gratitude
to him for the manifestations of his love and care and pro-
tection.— Oct. C. R., 1906, p. 2.

I Forgive All Men. I feel in my heart to forgive all
men in the broad sense that God requires of me to forgive
all men, and I desire to love my neighbor as myself ; and to
this extent I bear no malice toward any of the children of my
Father. But there are enemies to the work of the Lord, as
there were enemies to the Son of God. There are those who
speak only evil of the Latter-day Saints. There are those —
and they abound largely in our midst — who will shut their
eyes. to every virtue and to every good thing connected with
this latter-day work, and will pour out floods of falsehood
and misrepresentation against the people of God. I forgive
them for this. I leave them in the hands of the just Judge.
Let him deal with them as seemeth him good, but they are
not and cannot become my bosom companions. I cannot
condescend to that. While I would not harm a hair of their
head, while I would not throw a straw in their path, to hinder

422 GOSPEL DOCTRINE

them from turning from the error of their way to the light
of truth; I would as soon think of taking a centipede or a
scorpion, or any poisonous reptile, and putting it into my
bosom, as I would think of becoming a companion or an
associate of such men.

These are my sentiments, and I believe that they are
correct. If you can throw yourself in the way of the sinner
to stop him in his downward course, and become an instru-
ment in the hand of the Lord of turning him from the way
of vice, iniquity, or crime, into the way of righteousness and
uprightness, you are justified, and that is demanded of you.
You should do this. If you can save a sinner from his
wickedness, turn the wicked from the course of death that
he is pursuing, to the way of life and salvation, you will
save a soul from death, and you will have been an instrument
in the hand of the Lord of turning the sinner unto right-
eousness, for which you will receive your reward. Some of
our good Latter-day Saints have become so exceedingly
good( ?) that they cannot tell the difference between a Saint
of God, an honest man, and a son of Beelzebub, who has
yielded himself absolutely to sin and wickedness. And they
call that liberality, broadness of mind, exceeding love. I do
not want to become so blinded with love for my enemies that
I cannot discern between light and darkness, between truth
and error, between good and evil, but I hope to live so that
I shall have sufficient light in me to discern between error
and truth, and to cast my lot on the side of truth and not on
the side of error and darkness. The Lord bless the Latter-
day Saints. If I am too narrow with reference to these
matters, I hope that the wisdom of my brethren and the
Spirit of Light from the Lord may broaden the soul. —
Oct. C. R., 1907, pp. 5, 6.

We Leave Our Enemies in God's Hands. We thank
God for his mercies and blessings ; and I do not know but

LOVE YOUR ENEMIES 423

what we owe in some small degree gratitude to those who
have bitterly opposed the work of the Lord ; for in all their
opposings and bitter strife against our people, the Lord has
developed his power and wisdom, and has brought his people
more fully into the knowledge and favor of the intelligent
people of the earth. Through the very means used by those
who have opposed the work of God, he has brought out
good for Zion. Yet it is written, and I believe it is true,
that although it must needs be that offenses come, woe unto
them by whom they come; but they are in the hands of the
Lord as we are. We bring no railing accusation against
them. We are willing to leave them in the hands of the
Almighty to deal with them as seemeth him good. Our
business is to work righteousness in the earth, to seek for
the development of a knowledge of God's will and of God's
ways, and of his great and glorious truths which he has
revealed through the instrumentality of Joseph the Prophet,
not only for the salvation of the living but for the redemp-
tion and salvation of the dead. — Apr. C. R., 1908, p. 2.

Leave Results in God's Hands. God will deal with
them in his own time and in his own way, and we only
need to do our duty, keep the faith ourselves, to work right-
eousness in the world ourselves, and leave the results in the
hands of him who overruleth all things for the good of
those who love him and keep his commandments. — Apr. C.
R. } 1905, p. 6.

Our Debt to Our Enemies. I was going to say that
we did not owe anything to our enemies ; that was the first
thought that sprang into my mind, but I will hold that back.
I think we owe something to our enemies, too, for the ad-
vancement of the cause of Zion, for up to date everything
that has been done to thwart the purposes of God and to
frustrate his designs has been overruled for the good of
Zion and for the spread of truth. And that will continue

424 GOSPEL DOCTRINE

to be the case until the end, for they are fighting God's
work, and not mine nor that of any other man. — Oct, C. R.,
1906, p. 2.

A Prayer for Our Enemies. Let the Lord God have
mercy upon those who seek to hurt the cause of Zion. O
God, pity the misguided, the erring, the foolish, the unwise.
Put thy Spirit in their hearts, turn them from the error of
their ways and from their follies, and bring them back into
the way of righteousness and into thy favor. I ask mercy
for my enemies — those who lie about me and slander me,
and who speak all manner of evil against me falsely. In
return, I beseech God my heavenly Father to have mercy
upon them ; for those who do it, not knowing what they are
doing, are only misguided, and those who are doing it with
their eyes open certainly need, most of all, the mercy, com-
passion and pity of God. May God pity them. May he have
mercy upon them. I would not harm a hair of their heads,
for all I am worth in the world. I would not throw a block
in their way to prosperity. No ; and I beseech my brethren
that they keep hands off the enemies of our people and those
who are paving their own road to destruction and will not
repent, who are sinning with their eyes open, who know that
they are transgressing the laws of God and villifying and ly-
ing against the servants of the Lord. Have mercy upon
them. Do not touch them; for that is just what they would
like. Let them alone. Let them go. Give them the liberty
of speech they want. Let them tell their own story, and
write their own doom. We can afford it. They do not hurt
us, and if it affords them any amusement, I am sure they
are welcome to it— Oct C. R., 1905, p. 95.

The Golden Rule. We need mercy; then let us be
merciful. We need charity; let us be charitable. We need
forgiveness ; let us forgive. Let us do unto others what we
would that they should do unto us. Let us welcome the new

LOVE YOUR ENEMIES 425

year and dedicate to it our best efforts, our loyal service, our
love and fellowship, and our supplication for the welfare and
happiness of all mankind. — Juvenile Instructor, Vol. 46, Jan-
uary, 1911, p. 16.

Why the World Does Not Love Us. "If ye were
of the world, the world would love its own; but because ye
are not of the world, but I'have chosen you out of the world,
therefore the world hateth you" (John 15 :19). The followers
of Jesus were his chosen people, and because they were chosen
by him, the world hated them. The Jews w^ere the chosen
people of God, and because they were his chosen people
the world hated them. Nowhere in the world today is
the word Jew wholly disassociated with the feeling of con-
tempt. The feelings may differ greatly in degree, but they
are all of one kind. The word "Mormon," or Latter-day
Saint, is everywhere likewise associated with feelings of
contempt. Contempt is the heritage of a chosen people.
Ought we therefore to court the contempt of the world?
By no means. On the other hand, we should not be dis-
couraged because it comes to us unsought. Some of our
friends — mostly in the Church, some few out of it — would
lift us out of the contempt of the world, and keep us out of
it, if we would simply be governed by their counsels. The
truth is, we are not strangers to hatred; and the contempt
of the world has been our lot so much that we have no
reason to be discouraged when it comes, even in violent
forms. The danger lies not so much in our own peculiarity
as in the disposition of many of our people to court popular-
ity at all costs, as if it were something devoutly to be
wished for. There is too often a timid submission before
the indignation storms that occasionally sweep over the
country. — Juvenile Instructor, Vol. 39, August, 1904, p. 464.

Love One Another. Let us, brethren, love one an-
other, and exercise patience and forbearance, avoiding judg-
ment, except when called upon to render it, and then tern-

426 GOSPEL DOCTRINE

pering the law with a father's love. The Latter-day Saints
must be promoters of both law and religion, as exemplified
in the justice and mercy of God. — Improvement Era, Vol.
6, 1903, p. 550.

Keep Aloof from the Wicked. We should keep our-
selves aloof from the wicked; the dividing line should be
distinctly drawn between God and Belial, between Christ and
the world, between truth and error, and between right and
wrong. We ought to cleave to the right, to the good, to
the truth, and forsake the evil. — Deseret Weekly News,
Vol. 31, 1882, p. 674.

The Enemies to Fear. For my part I do not fear the
influence of our enemies from without, as I fear that of those
from within. An open and avowed enemy, whom we may see
and meet in an open field, is far less to be feared than a lurk-
ing, deceitful, treacherous enemy hidden within us, such as are
many of the weaknesses of our fallen human nature, which
are too often allowed to go unchecked, beclouding our minds,
leading away our affections from God and his truth, until
they sap the very foundations of our faith and debase us
beyond the possibility or hope of redemption, either in this
world or that to come. These are the enemies that we all
have to battle with, they are the greatest that we have to
contend with in the world, and the most difficult to conquer.
They are the fruits of ignorance, generally arising out of
unrebuked sin and evil in our own hearts. The labor that is
upon us is to subdue our _ passions, conquer our inward •
foes, and see that our hearts are right in the sight of the
Lord, that there is nothing calculated to grieve his Spirit
and lead us away from the path of duty.

CHAPTER XIX
Education and Industrial Pursuits

We Are Ever Learning. We are not "ever learning
and never coming to a knowledge of the truth." On the con-
trary, we are ever learning and are ever drawing nearer to
a proper comprehension of the truth, the duty and the re-
sponsibility that devolve upon members of the Church who
are called to responsible positions in it. Not only does this
apply to those members who are called to act in responsi-
ble positions, but it applies to those who may be termed "lay
members," if we may use such a term with reference to mem-
bers of the Church of Jesus Christ of Latter-day Saints.

Who is there, under the circumstances that exist around
us, that is not growing ? Who is there of us that is not learn-
ing something day by day? Who is there of us that is not
gaining experience as we pass along, and are attending to
the duties of membership in the Church, and to the duties
of citizens of our state, and citizens of our great and glo-
rious nation? It seems to me that it would be a very sad
comment upon the Church of Jesus Christ of Latter-day
Saints and her people to suppose for a moment that we are
at a standstill, that we have ceased to grow, ceased to im-
prove and to advance in the scale of intelligence, and in the
faithful performance of duty in every condition in which we
are placed as a people and as members of the Church of
Christ.— Oct C. R., 1915, p. 2.

Address on Ignorance. The subject which has been
dwelt upon is a broad one : "What can be done to stem the
tide of evil that is sweeping through the land?" I appre-
hend that one of the greatest evils existing, that is "sweep-
ing through the land," is that of ignorance, coupled with in-

428 GOSPEL DOCTRINE

difference. I presume that if the ignorant were not so in-
different to these facts and to their condition they might be
prompted to learn more than they do. The trouble with
men and women is that they too frequently close their eyes
to the facts that exist around them, and it seems to be very
difficult for many of the people to learn and adapt to their
lives those simple truths that should be in fact the household
words and precepts of every Latter-day Saint, and of every
home of a Latter-day Saint. How shall we stem the tide of
this evil, this indifference, this consequent ignorance. It
appears to me that the only way to do it is to wake up and
become interested, or to interest ourselves in those things
which are so important and necessary to the happiness and
well-being of the children of men, especially that which is so
needful for the happiness and well being of ourselves indi-
vidually.

It isn't all that is necessary, to learn the truth or to
cease to be ignorant. Following that comes the application
of the understanding and knowledge that we gain, to those
works and things that are needful for our protection and
for the protection of our children, our neighbors, our homes,
our happiness.

I see occasionally, as I walk out in the evening, crowds
of little girls and boys who seem to me from their appear-
ance as not yet having reached their teens, little boys and
little girls perhaps from ten to fourteen, and perhaps some
of them older, in defiance of the curfew law, playing in the
streets, loitering together in shady nooks, in alleys, in the
recesses about their homes or the homes of somebody else.
This I apprehend is an evil, a very serious evil. How will
you stem it? How can it be prevented? — M. I. A. Confer-
ence, 1910; Young Woman's Journal, Vol. 21, pp. 403-406.

The Value of Practical Education. I have often
thought of the undesirableness of the young men of our com-
munity seeking for light employments, and lucrative posi-

EDUCATION, INDUSTRIAL PURSUITS 429

tions, without regard to manual and mechanical skill, and
knowledge and ability in agriculture.

None can deny that there is too great a tendency among
the young men, especially in our larger cities, to seek the
lighter employments. Politics, law, medicine, trade, clerk-
ing, banking, are needful and good in their place, but we
need builders, mechanics farmers, and men who can use
their powers to produce something for the use of man.

Salaried positions, in which little responsibility is re-
quired, are well enough for young men who are making a
beginning, but it should be the ambition of all to get out and
take upon themselves responsibility, and to become inde-
pendent, by themselves becoming producers, and skilful
workers.

If life is valuable in comparison with the experience we
obtain, every youth will increase the worth of his life in pro-
portion to the new obstacles that he is able to conquer. In a
routine, there are no difficulties to encounter; neither is
there profit to the mind or body in the sameness of depend-
ent positions. But let the man who would grow and develop,
go forth into the practical and productive ways of life.
These will lead to broadmindedness and independence, while
the other road ends in narrowness and dependence.

And here, also, a word to parents who have daughters.
Are you fitting them for the practical duties of mother and
wife, that they may in due time go out and make homes
what they should be? Or are you training your daughters
to play the lady by making them accomplished in flourishes,
and expert in ostentatious embellishments ? Is mother doing
all the work? If you say yes to the last two questions, you
are not doing your full duty to your child. For, while ac-
complishment and polished grace, attainments in music and
art, and a knowledge of the sciences, are good and useful in
their place, it is not intended that these shall replace the com-
mon labors of life. Where children are so trained, their

430 GOSPEL DOCTRINE

parents have done them a positive injustice, of which both
the children and the parents may live to be ashamed.

While we are educating our children in all that may be
termed the beautiful in science and art, we should not fail
to insist that they shall learn to do practical things, and that
they do not despise the common labors of life. Any other
course toward them is an injustice to the boys and girls, as
well as to ourselves and the community in general.

I believe the morals of the people will improve as skill
in workmanship and productive labors is acquired. Parents,
too, will find it easier to govern and control their children,
if these are trained in useful manual labor. We shall not
then witness the sad spectacle of young men loafing about
our cities hunting for some easy place that just suits their
notions of work, which, if they can not find, they will not
labor at all, but go without in idleness. Mischief and devil-
ment, frequently so common because the hands are unem-
ployed, will decrease, and better order will prevail.

Thus, while not decrying education in the aesthetic sense,
I think it is a serious duty devolving upon parents and those
who have educational matters in hand to provide a supple-
mental if not a co-ordinate course in practical labor for
every boy and girl, which shall make them proficient in hand-
iwork, and enable them to expend their powers in the,, pro-
duction of something for the material use and benefit of man.
— Improvement Era, Vol. 6, January, 1903, p. 229.

Practical Education Advocated. I desire again to
say that I would be pleased to see more of our young men
learning trades instead of trying to learn professions, such
as the profession of law, or of medicine, or other profes-
sions. I would rather a man would become a good mechanic,
a good builder, a good machinist, a good surveyor, a good
farmer, a good blacksmith, or a good artisan of any kind
than to see him follow these other kinds of professions. We
need, however, those who are capable of teaching in the

EDUCATION, INDUSTRIAL PURSUITS 431

schools, and I would like to see a greater interest manifested
by our young men and women in normal training, that they
might become proficient teachers and look forward to fol-
lowing this profession, because it is a most important one,
and great results will follow the faithful performance of the
duties and labors of those who are engaged in it. The train-
ing of our young, the giving of proper instruction to those
who are seeking education, and creating facilities in our
midst for all who desire not only the common branches of
education, but the higher branches, that they may obtain
these privileges and benefits at home instead of being com-
pelled to go abroad to complete their education.

Some of our friends took very grievous offense at what
I said in respect to some of these things last April, I believe.
I was sorry to hear what they said in relation to this. Why,
bless your soul, the counsel that I gave last April in relation
to these matters was in the interest of all parties and of all
professions. I did not speak a disrespectful word of any
profession. I simply advised, and I still advise, the young
men of Zion to become artisans rather than to become law-
yers. I repeat it ; and yet I would to God that every intelli-
gent man among the Latter-day Saints was able to read law
and to be his own lawyer. I wish that every young man
could and would study and become familiar with the laws of
his state and with the laws of his nation, and with the laws
of other nations. You cannot learn too much in these direc-
tions ; but I think there are too many trying to be lawyers,
for the good of that profession. They are eating one another
up, to some extent. Not long ago a young man who had
studied law and hung out his shingle here, after waiting for
business, trying to stir up business for some length of time,
came so near starving himself and family that he came and
wanted to know what to do. He could not make a living
in the profession of law. I asked him if he knew how to
do anything else. He said yes, he was a good printer. Well,

432 GOSPEL DOCTRINE

then, I said, abandon the profession of law and take up the
profession of printing; do something that you can do and
that you can make a living at. If he had any practice at
all in law my counsel to him, if he had obeyed it — and he did
— would have been a benefit to those who remained in the
profession. There are some' men, most honorable, most gen-
uine, and most intelligent, who are following the profession
of the law. I wish I could say that much of all.

Then, my brethren and sisters, get out of debt. My
young friends, learn to become skilful in the arts and in
mechanics and in something that will be material, useful in
building up the commonwealth where we live and where all
our interests are centered. — Oct. C. R., 1903, pp. 5, 6.

Boys Should Be Taught the Arts of Industry. One
of the things that I think is very necessary is that we should
teach our boys mechanism, teach them the arts of industry,
and not allow our sons to grow up with the idea that there
is nothing honorable in labor, except it be in the professions
of law, or in some other light, practically unproductive, and
I was going to say, unremunerative employment, but I know
of scarcely any employment more remunerative than is the
practice of law to those, at least, who are proficient. But
what do they do to build up the country? What do they
produce to benefit the world? There may be a few of
them who have farms ; there may be a few of them who have
manufactories; there may be a few of them who may be
interested and engaged in other productive labor, something
that will build up the country and the people and establish
permanence, stability and prosperity in the land; but the
vast majority of them are leeches upon the body politic and
are worthless as to the building up of any community. There
are a good many of our boys who feel that they could not be
farmers, and that the pursuit of farming and stock-raising
is beneath their dignity. There are some who think it is

EDUCATION, INDUSTRIAL PURSUITS 433

menial and low for them to engage in building enterprises
as masons, carpenters, or builders in general.

There are but a few of our boys who take to the ham-
mer and to the anvil and to those pursuits of labor that are
essential to the permanence of any community in the world
and that are necessary to build up the country.

I say that we are remiss and slack in relation to these
things, that we are not instilling them sufficiently in the
minds of our children, and that we are not giving them the
opportunity that they should enjoy of learning how to pro-
duce from the earth and the materials that are on the face
of it or in the bowels of it, that which is necessary for the
advancement and prosperity of mankind. Some of us have
the idea that it is degrading for our daughters to learn how
to cook, how to keep house, or to make a dress, apron or
bonnet, if necessary. No; daughters in families that are
blessed with plenty of means are taught to play the piano,
to sing, to go out in society and spend their time in idle, use-
less pleasure, instead of being taught how to be economical,
industrious and frugal, and how to become good housewives.
That is degrading ! I would like to say to this congregation,
and to the world, that if I possessed millions of dollars I
would not be satisfied or content in my mind unless my
boys knew how to do something that would bring them in
a living, how to handle a pitchfork, or to run a mowing
machine or reaper, or how to plow the ground and sow the
seed ; nor would I be satisfied if my daughters did not know
how to keep a house. I would be ashamed of my children
if they did not know something of these things.

We need manual training schools instead of so much
book-learning and the stuffing of fairy tales and fables
which are contained in many of our school books of today.
If we would devote more money and time, more energy and
attention to teaching our children manual labor in our

29

434 GOSPEL DOCTRINE

schools than we do, it would be a better thing for the rising
generation.

There are many subjects of this character, in addition
to the principles of the gospel of eternal truth and the plan
of life and salvation, that can be dwelt upon with profit by
those who may speak to us. — Apr. C. R., 1903,. pp. 2, 3.

Manual Training and Agriculture. We want to
make these valleys of the mountains teem with the prod-
ucts of our own labor, and skill, and intelligence. I believe
it to be suicidal for us to patronize those who are- at a dis-
tance from us, when we should and could go to work and
organize our labor and produce everything at home; we
might thereby give employment to everybody at home, de-
velop the intelligence and the skill of our children, instead
of letting them hunt after these fancy occupations that so
many young people desire above manual labor. The schools
of the Latter-day Saints and some of the state schools tre
beginning to introduce manual labor. Some of our boys
are learning how to make tables, chairs, sofas, book-cases,
bureaus and all that sort of thing — all good as far as it goes ;
but if we want a mason to lay brick, we have to look
mostly to some man that has come from England or Ger-
many, or from somewhere else, to lay our brick. Why? Be-
cause our boys do not like to lay brick. If we want a good
blacksmith, we must hunt up some foreigner who has learned
the trade in his mother country, and who has come here with
knowledge of blacksmithing ; we must find such a man before
we can get blacksmithing done, because boys do not like to
be blacksmiths. They don't like even to be farmers ; they
would rather be lawyers or doctors than to be farmers. This
is the case with too many of our boys, and it is a great mis-
take. I hope the time will come when the children of 'he
Latter-day Saints will learn that all labor that is necessary
for the happiness of themselves and of their neighbors, or
of mankind in general, is honorable ; and that no man is de-

EDUCATION, INDUSTRIAL PURSUITS 435

grading himself because he can lay brick, or carry on car-
pentry or blacksmithing, or any kind of mechanism, no mat-
ter what it is, but that all these things are honorable, and are
necessary for the welfare of man and for the building up of
the commonwealth.— Orf. C. R., 1909, p. 8.

Agriculture and Mechanic Arts in Church
Schools. We Have sought to encourage in our Church
schools the establishment of departments of mechanic arts
and manual training ; and, so far as I know, everything pos-
sible is being done, at least in the principal schools, for the
training of our youth, not only in the regular mechanic arts,
but also in the art of agriculture. An agricultural course
has recently been started in the Brigham Young University,
and one of our most proficient scientists has been called to
take charge of the class. I am happy to say that some of our
oldest farmers are delighted with the information that they
have obtained by attending this class. I heard a brother
who had been farming for many years say that he had al-
ways been under the impression that when a man could not
do anything else, all he had to do was to turn his attention
to the plow and cultivate the soil, for anybody could be
a farmer, but he had found out since attending his class that
it required intelligence and intelligent application to be a
good farmer, as well as to be a good artisan. In connec-
tion with this I may state a circumstance that came under
my own observation years ago. A certain brother had lived
upon his farm for some fourteen or fifteen years. He had
cultivated it every year the best he could, but it had become
so impoverished that he could not make a living off it any
longer, and he became so disgusted with the country, espe-
cially with his farm, that he concluded, if he could only trade
the farm off for a team and wagon that would take him out
of the country, he would be glad to go. By and by, his man
came along, and he sold his farm for a team and wagon, in
which he put his wife and children and moved to some other

436 GOSPEL DOCTRINE

country. The purchaser took possession of this worn-out
farm, and within three years, by intelligent operation, he was
able to gather from that farm forty bushels of wheat to the
acre, and other products in proportion. The nutriment of
the soil had been exhausted, and it needed resuscitation ; so
he went to w r ork, gave it the nourishment it required, and
reaped a bountiful harvest as a result of his wisdom. There
are too many of our farmers who think it does not need any
skill to be a farmer; but this good brother in Provo, to
whom I alluded, found it did. So we are teaching agricul-
ture in our schools, as well as the mechanic arts. The Brig-
ham Young College is putting up a building now wherein
are to be taught all sorts of industries ; where our youth will
be able to learn carpentry, blacksmithing, domestic arts, and
other trades that will be useful to them. Yet we find it a
drag to induce anybody possessed of means to contribute
very largely to it. Some of our wealthiest men felt they
were doing their utmost when they donated perhaps a hun-
dred dollars towards a building that will cost eight or ten
thousand dollars, if not more. — Apr. C. R., 1906, pp. 5, 6.

We Should Study Agriculture. In connection with
this matter, I think it is wisdom for us, as agriculturists, to
study agriculture and to become able to produce out of an
acre of ground as much as the "heathen Chinee/' or as much
as any other people can produce from the same ground. I
do not see why we cannot learn to cultivate the soil as intel-
ligently and as profitably as any other class of people in the
world ; and yet it is a well known fact that up to the present
we have not devoted that attention, care, thoughtfulness, or
that intelligence to agriculture in our country that we should
have done and that we are now learning to do, by the aid
of schools where men who desire to follow agriculture
may learn the nature of the soil and all the other conditions
necessary to produce the largest results for their labor. —
Apr. C. R., 1910, p. 4.

EDUCATION, INDUSTRIAL PURSUITS 437

Dignity of Agriculture. I believe there is no labor
on earth more essential to the well-being of a community or
more honorable than the labor which is necessary to produce
food from mother earth. It is one of the most noble occupa-
tions. And next to it is the tending of the flocks of sheep
and cattle. This is another noble occupation, if it is only
carried on properly and righteously. These are the founda-
tion of the prosperity of every community in the world.
When the farming community is prosperous, when the Lord
blesses the earth and makes it fruitful, then the blacksmith,
the carpenter, and those who follow other pursuits, will also
be prosperous. But when the earth refuses to yield of its
strength for the good of mankind, then all other business is
stagnant and will languish. Therefore, let us till the earth ;
let us cultivate the soil ; let us produce our own living out of
the earth, by the blessing of God, as far as we possibly can,
always keeping in mind that we have entered into solemn
covenant with God, which is an eternal covenant, and from
which he cannot depart or be moved, and in which we can
only fail by ourselves transgressing that new and everlasting
covenant and turning away from it— Apr, C. R. } 1898, p. 70.

Encourage Forestry. Professor Fernow, of the De-
partment of Forestry, at Washington, declares that at the
present rate of consumption our supply of timber suitable
for manufactured lumber will not last thirty years. If it
were true that our lumber supply was likely to be exhausted
within the next hundred years, it would still be a matter of
alarming concern to the people of this country. The use of
lumber is not the only serious question involved. Our trees
aid the precipitation of moisture and store it away for its
gradual distribution during the hot summer months.

The time is not distant in Utah when people will be
compelled to grow their own lumber, just as they grow
other products of the farm. What would we do without
Oregon and the Sierras of Nevada? Oregon timber may

438 GOSPEL DOCTRINE

*

now be very plentiful and rainfall ample, but some day the
Oregonians will demand a cessation of their forest destruc-
tion.

It is the business of presiding authorities in the stakes
and wards of the Church to study thoughtfully and to for-
ward the interests of the people. It is to be hoped that these
authorities will look into the matter of establishing the for-
estry industry, and see if some thing can be done in their sec-
tions of the country to inaugurate the planting of trees on
private estates for the supply of lumber in years to come. It
would be commendable in the highest degree to the Latter-
day Saints if they would set apart here and there a small
acreage of their land to tree culture. If this matter were
taken up in priesthood meetings and some united action
agreed upon, future disaster may be averted.

The Latter-day Saints ought not to be governed by
purely selfish motives in the use of their landed inheritances.
The number among us who have converted a single acre of
our farms into forestry must be extremely small, and yet
it is a duty which we owe to ourselves and to those who
have the right to rely upon us to give this matter our earn-
est consideration. The cultivation of timber lands will in
time be remunerative; but we are so accustomed to look
for immediate returns that we insist upon an early harvest
for all that we do. The policy of living for today is not only
destructive of our material interests, but it begets a selfish-
ness harmful to religion and discreditable to patriotism.

No ward or branch of the Church can long remain free
from a public interest without endangering its spiritual life
and the spirit of progress. Public interests are necessary to
protect us against the elments of social and material decay.
Evidences of the truth of these principles are abundantly
manifest in those communities where public spirit has been
wanting and public improvements have not been undertaken

EDUCATION, INDUSTRIAL PURSUITS 439

for years. The wise and active president of a stake or
bishop of a ward will not fail to appreciate the value of a
public spirit and a united effort in the accomplishment of
some necessary and commendable public undertaking; and
if there is not something immediately at hand, he will look
about to discover, if he can, a means for calling out in a
united and patriotic way the energies of the people. We here
therefore suggest that one of the public duties which every
Latter-day Saint owes to the Church and to his country is
the extension of valuable timber forests upon both private
lands and public domains. — Juvenile Instructor, Vol. 38,
August 1, 1903, p. 466.

Young Women Should Have Practical Prepara-
tion for Life. I, too, think it is very important that young
women should early form some design, some definite pur-
pose in life. Let that resolve be a noble one, a good one;
something with a view of benefiting others as well as one's
self. Perhaps your sphere may be in the household ; if so, let
every member feel that you are indispensable to the comfort
of home, by your good works and your love and patience.
You may be a*stay and a comfort and a help to your mother,
though you may not be called to herculean tasks or heroic
sacrifice. Fix in your minds noble thoughts, cultivate ele-
vated themes, let your aims and aspirations be high. Be in
a certain degree independent ; to the degree of usefulness,
helpfulness and self-reliance, though no human beings can be
said truly to be independent of their fellow beings, and there
is no one reckless enough to deny our utter dependence on
our heavenly Father. Seek to be educated in the highest
meaning of the term ; get the most possible service out of
your time, your body and brains, and let all your efforts be
directed into honorable channels, that no effort shall be
wasted, and no labor result in loss or evil.

Seek the very best society; be kind, polite, agreeable,
seeking to learn whatever is good, and comprehend the

440 GOSPEL DOCTRINE

duties of life that you may be a blessing to all those with
whom you associate, making the very most and best of your
lot in life. * * * *

It does not matter how wealthy the Latter-day Saints
become; so long as they are worthy of that name they will
teach their sons and daughters the dignity of labor and how
grand it is to be practical in the duties and responsibilities
of life. One of the speakers during the general conference
remarked that if his children could not cultivate but one
set of faculties, rather than theoretical, he would choose
practical labor. It is very important to the walfare, use-
fulness, happiness, and comfort of our daughters (in view
of certain circumstances) that they learn some branch of
industry that could be turned to practical account in the way
of making a living, should circumstances require it. Moth-
ers should see to it that their daughters do this, and that
when she is no longer by them, they may be capable of
providing themselves with the necessaries of life.

There are people fond of saying that women are the
weaker vessels. I don't believe it. Physically, they may be ;
but spiritually, morally, religiously and in faith, what man
can match a woman who is really convinced? Daniel had
faith to sustain him in the lion's den, but women have seen
their sons torn limb from limb, and endured every torture
satanic cruelty could invest, because they believed. They are
always more willing to make sacrifices, and are the peers of
men in stability, Godliness, morality and faith. I can not
understand how a man can be unkind to any woman, much
less to the wife of his bosom, and the mother of his children,
and 1 am told that there are those who are absolutely brutal,
but they are unworthy the name of men I believe that most
women are very devoted to their children, desiring for them
most ardently all that is good, and I loathe with every fiber
of my soul the son who turns against the mother who gave
him birth. I cannot tolerate the young lady who appears

EDUCATION, INDUSTRIAL PURSUITS 441

well in society at the expense of the comfort of her mother
at home. Do not fear to divide the burdens, and to do all
in your power to brighten the lot of your mother, and you
will find blessings that are never discovered in the path of
selfishness.

And I exhort you young sisters to sustain those who
are placed over you, to improve all your opportunities, and
refrain from evil; and, mark me, you will attain to a high
standard of character and the honors of life, and become po-
tent factors in forming your communities. Maintain your dig-
nity, integrity, and virtue at the sacrifice of life. Take
this course, and although you may be ignorant of many
things, you will be esteemed as of the noblest types of
womanhood. With such virtues for her adornments, no man
could help loving such a young lady. — Young Woman's
Journal, Vol. 3, 1891-1892, pp. 142-144.

Object of Church Schools. The object, I may say
almost the only purpose, for the maintenance of Church
schools is that true religion and undefiled before God the
Father, may be inculcated in the minds and hearts of our
children while they are getting an education, to enable the
heart, the soul and the spirit of our children to develop with
proper teaching, in connection with the secular training that
they receive in schools. — Oct. C. R. } 1915, p. 4.

Value of Church Schools. In my opinion the Church
schools are laying the foundation for great usefulness among
the people of God, and they should be sustained by the peo-
ple and by the Church. The Church is sustaining them, and
as we acquire more means and become more free from ob-
ligations which have been resting upon the Church for
years, we will be more free-handed to administer to the
needs of our Church schools, as well as other requirements
of that nature.— Apr. C. R. } 1906, p. 6.

Purpose of Church Schools. The purpose of our
Church schools is the harmonious development of our young

442 GOSPEL DOCTRINE

people in all that relates to their future . well-being and
progress; and eternal progress can be enjoyed only when
the principles of eternal life are associated with their daily
existence. Whatever hinders upward progression deadens
the sensibilities and real enjoyments of this world's life.
An education that has for its highest ideals the pursuit of
worldly ambitions is wanting in that free and unrestrained
flow of the spirit which makes for higher freedom and a
more wholesome life. As we ripen in years and in experi-
ence, our spiritual lives have more and more to do with our
real happiness. Our thoughts are more frequently turned
inward as we contemplate the approaching end of this life
and the unfolding of the greater life to come. — Juvenile In-
structor, Vol. 47, November, 1912, p. 630.

The Church Ample for All Necessary Organiza-
tions: The Church is provided with so many priesthood
organizations that only these can be recognized therein. No
outside organization is necessary. There is no call for in-
dividuals to organize clubs, or special gatherings in social,
educational, or national capacity, in order to express wishes
or desires for reforms that can always be expressed in the
organizations that already exist in the Church. There is
enough to do in the general ward organizations, under
Church control, to fill all requirements, to satisfy all right-
eous ambitions, and to develop the latent talent of the peo-
ple. It is neither proper nor necessary to establish further
public organizations under individual leadership, unsanc-
tioned by the Church authorities. If further public organ-
izations are required, they will be founded by proper author-
ity, when it can be proved that there is indeed any need for
them. Such separate action leads to clannishness, conflict
and disunion, and is not pleasing in the sight of God. —
Improvement Era, Vol. 6, Dec, 1902, p. 150.

Develop Faculties in Church Organizations.
Where men are ambitious to show their ability and fitness

EDUCATION, INDUSTRIAL PURSUITS 443

as leaders, teachers, organizers, champions of a righteous
cause, or saviors of men, let them develop these qualities in
the many suitable organizations now existing in the Church,
which are waiting, yea, often crying aloud, for men with just
such superior ability. This course, pursued with the right
spirit, will do good, and meet the blessings of the Lord;
while the other, by playing upon their pride of nationality,
their natural desire to conquer, and their sectional clannish-
ness, will lead to schisms among the people that will finally
cause them to lose the spirit of the gospel. — Improvement
Era, Vol. 6, Dec, 1902, p. 151.

The Foundation of Prosperity. The very founda-
tion of all real prosperity is home industry and home manu-
facture. This lies at the foundation of the prosperity of
every permanently prosperous community. It is the source
of wealth. I think, therefore, we ought to encourage home
manufacture and every home industry. We ought to co-
operate together, if there is any kind of business in which
there is a profit, let us co-operate together and let us have
the benefit of that profit among ourselves instead of giving
it to strangers. — Deseret Weekly Nezvs, Vol. 33, 1884, p. 466.

The Object of Co-operation. Co-operation is a prin-
ciple that President Young was very much concerned about,
and that he endeavored, with his brethren, to impress upon
the minds of the people throughout the land. Under his ad-
ministration our co-operative institutions were established,
and by his efforts, many of the people, especially in the
southern part of Utah and in Arizona, became united to-
gether in organizations, that were called "the United Order."
The object was co-operation, that the principles of union in
labor as well as in faith might be developed to its fullest
extent in the midst of the Saints. — Deseret Weekly News,
Vol. 33, 1884, p. 466.

CHAPTER XX.

Missionaries.

How Missionaries Are Called. No person but the
President of the Church has the authority to call mission-
aries to preach the gospel; others may suggest or rec-
ommend, but they do so to him, and he issues the call.
We draw attention to this fact as it occasionally happens
that some brother is spoken to about going on a mission
by one of the general authorities, by the president of the
stake or by his bishop, and he at once goes to work and
begins to prepare to leave, sometimes going so far as to
rent his farm, sell his belongings or lease his property.
Then, when no date is appointed for his departure and no
field of labor assigned him, he feels disappointed and ag-
grieved. — Juvenile Instructor, Vol. 37, February, 1902,
p. 82.

Requirements of Prospective Missionaries. In ac-
cordance with the present regulations of the First Presi-
dency brethren are not now sent on missions who have not
themselves a testimony of the truth of the work of the
Lord. It is deemed inconsistent to send men out into the
world to promise to others through obedience to the gospel
that which they have not themselves received. Neither is
it considered proper to send men out to reform them. Let
them first reform at home if they have not been strictly
keeping the commandments of God. This applies to the
Word of Wisdom as well as' to all other laws of heaven.
No objection is offered to men being called who in earlier
years may have been rough or wayward, if in later years
they have lived a godly life and brought forth the precious
fruits of repentance. Neither should men be sent who are
not in good health ; a sickly elder is able to do but little

MISSIONARIES 445

good himself and often impedes the work of his com-
panion; and, too frequently, has to be sent home after a
short absence entailing suffer ing on himself and expense to
the people or the Church. — Juvenile Instructor, Vol. 37
February, 1902, p. 82.

The Kind of Men Wanted for Missionaries. We
do not want boys that have been in saloons, that have been
in houses of ill-fame, that have been gamblers, that have
been drunkards, that have been infamous in their lives —
we do not want such to go into the ministry of this holy
gospel to represent the Son of the living God and the power
of redemption to the world. We want young men that have
been born or adopted in the covenant, that have been reared
in purity, that have kept themselves unspotted from the
world, and can go into the nations of the earth and say to
men, "Follow me, as I follow Christ." Then we would like
to have them know how to sing, and to pray. We expect
them to be honest, virtuous, and faithful unto death to
their covenants, to their brethren, to their wives, to their
fathers and mothers, to their brothers and sisters, to them-
selves and to God. Where you get men like this to preach
the gospel to the world, whether they know much to begin
with or not, the Lord will put his Spirit into their hearts,
and he will crown them with intelligence and power to
save the souls of men. For the germ of life is in them. It
has not been vitiated or corrupted; it has not been driven
away from them.— Oct. C. R., 1899, pp. 72-3.

Necessary Qualifications of Missionaries. An-
other thing — one of the indispensable qualifications of the
elders who go out into the world to preach is humility,
meekness and love unfeigned, for the well-being and the
salvation of the human family, and the desire to establish
peace and righteousness in the earth among men. We can
not preach the gospel of Christ without this spirit of hu-
mility, meekness, faith in God and reliance upon his prom-

446 GOSPEL DOCTRINE

ises and word to us. You may learn all the wisdom of men,
but that will not qualify you to do these things like the
humble, guiding influence of the Spirit of God will. "Pride
goeth before destruction, and an haughty spirit before a
fall."

It is necessary for the elders who go out into the
world to preach to study the spirit of the gospel, which is
the spirit of humility, the spirit of meekness and of true
devotion to whatever purpose you set your hand or your
mind to do. If it is to preach the gospel, we should devote
ourselves to the duties of that ministry, and we ought to
strive with the utmost of our ability to qualify ourselves
to perform that specific labor, and the way to do it is to
live so that the Spirit of God will have communion and be
present with us to direct us in every moment and hour of
our ministry, night and day. — Apr. C. R., 1915, p. 138.

Further Qualifications of Missionaries. There
are many excellent men but very few really good mission-
aries. The characteristics of a good missionary are: A
man who has sociability — whose friendship is permanent
and sparkling — who can ingratiate himself into the confi-
dence and favor of men who are in darkness. This cannot
be done offhand. You must get acquainted with a man,
learn him and gain his confidence and make him feel and
know that your only desire is to do him good and bless
him ; then you can tell him your message, and give him the
good things you have for him kindly and lovingly. There-
fore, in selecting missionaries, choose such as have socia-
bility, who have friendship and not enmity towards men;
and if you have not any such in your ward, train and qualify
some young men for this work. Some men can never make
good missionaries, and you should not select such. In the
very first place, a missionary should have in himself the
testimony of the Spirit of God — the witness of the Holy
Ghost. If he has not this, he has nothing to give. Men are

MISSIONARIES 447

not converted by eloquence or oratory; they are convinced
when they are satisfied that you have the truth and the
Spirit of God. — Improvement Era, also Digest of Instruc-
tions, Y. M. M. I. A., 1904.

What Missionaries Should Teach. Our elders are
instructed here, and they are taught from their childhood up,
that they are not to go out and make war upon the religious
organizations of the world when they are called to go out
to preach the gospel of Jesus Christ, but to go and bear
with them the message which has been given to us through
the instrumentality of the Prophet Joseph, in this latter
dispensation, whereby men may learn the truth, if they
will. They are sent out to offer the olive branch of peace
to 1he world, to offer the knowledge that God has spoken
from the heavens once more to his children upon the earth ;
that God has in his mercy restored again to the world the
fuiness of the gospel of his Only Begotten Son, in the flesh,
that God has revealed and restored to mankind the divine
power and authoritv from himself, whereby they are enabled
and authorized to perform the ordinances of the gospel of
Jesus Christ necessary for their salvation; and their per-
formance of these ordinances must of necessity be aceep*:-
L'ble unto God who has given to them the authority to per-
form them in his name. Our elders are sent out to preach
repentance of sin, to preach righteousness, to preach to
the world the gospel of life, of fellowship, and of friendship
Lunong mankind, to teach men and women to do that which
is right in the sight of God and in the presence of all men,
to teach them the fact that God has organized his Church,
a Church of which he, himself, is the author and the founder
— not Joseph Smith, not President Brigham Young, not the
Twelve Apostles, that have been chosen in this dispensation
— to them does not belong the honor of establishing the
Church. God .is its author, God is its founder, and we are
sent out, and we send out our elders, to make this proclama-

448 GOSPEL DOCTRINE

tion to the world, and leave it to their own judgment and
discretion as to whether they will investigate it, learn the
truth for themselves, and accept it, or whether they will
reject it. We" do not make war upon them; if they do not
receive it, we do not contend with them ; if they fail to bene-
fit themselves by receiving the message that we give to
them for their own good, we only pity. Our sympathy goes
out to those who will not receive the truth and who will not
walk in the light when the light shines before them ; not
hatred, not enmity, not the spirit of condemnation; it is
our duty to leave condemnation in the hands of Almighty
God. He is the only real, true, righteous impartial judge,
and we leave judgment in his hands. It is not our business
to proclaim calamities, judgments, destruction, and the
wrath of God upon men, if they will not receive the truth.
Let them read the word of God, as recorded in the New and
the Old Testaments ; and, if they will receive it, let them read
the word that has been restored through the gift and power
of God to Joseph the prophet, as contained in the Doctrine
and Covenants and in the Book of Mormon. Let them read
these things, and they will learn there, themselves, the prom-
ises that God has made to those who will not hearken when
they hear the truth, but will close their ears and their eyes
against the light. We need not repeat these things and try
to impose upon the feelings and judgments of men by
threatening them or by warning them against the dangers
and evils that may come upon the ungodly, the disobedient,
the unthankful, and those who will not yield to the truth.
They will learn it soon enough, if we do not mention it to
them at all— Apr. C. R., 1915, pp. 3-4.

What and How To Teach. The question often arises
in the minds of young men who find themselves in the mis-
sion field, "What shall I say?'-' And another follows closely
upon it, "How shall I say it?" To those who go out in
earnestness and who have made a partial study of the

MISSIONARIES 449

principles of the gospel at home, the first question will soon
be solved even if they have failed to make the very best
use of their time and opportunities in our schools, asso-
ciations, and religious meetings. They will soon find attrac-
tion in the principles of truth, and as they find time, by close
application, become familiar with the teachings set forth in
the gospel of Jesus Christ, as revealed to and taught by the
Latter-day Saints. But the second question, involving the
best method of delivering the message which the missionary
has gone out to proclaim, that is not always so readily solved.
And yet, the success or failure of a mission largely depends
upon the false or accurate solution of this problem.

While no specific rule may be given, experience has
taught that the simplest way is the best. Having learned the
principles of the gospel, through a prayerful spirit and by
careful study, these should be presented to men in humility,
in the simplest forms of speech, without presumption or
arrogance and in the spirit of the mission of Christ. This
cannot be done if a young missionary waste his effort in a
vain-glorious attempt to become a noisy orator. This is the
point I wish to impress upon the elders, and to advise *that
all oratorical effort be confined to appropriate times and
places. The mission field is not the place for such effort.
The gospel is not successfully taught by ostentatious display
of words and argument, but rather is expressed by modest
and rational statements of its simple truths, uttered in a way
that will touch the heart and appeal, as well, to reason and
sound sense.

It isn't the rounded period, but the thought which it
contains that is of value ; nor is it the faultless sentence so
much as the spirit accompanying the speaker that awakens
life and light in the soul. The spirit must first be with the
missionary, if he shall succeed in awakening its response in
his hearers ; and this is true whether the words be spoken
in conversation, face to face, or in public gatherings. The

30

450 GOSPEL DOCTRINE

spirit will not manifest itself in the person who devotes his
time to deliver what he has to say in pompous words or
with display of oratory. He hopes to please artificially, and
not effectively through the heart.

It is, therefore, of great importance that the gospel
should be preached in the simplest and most intelligible way.
This does not mean that the language should not be choice,
nor that all the refinement possible should not be employed,
but that there should be no affectation, nothing "put on."
There is enough in the gospel to occupy our earnest time and
language, without devoting our time to artificial effects. By
earnestness and simplicity the missionary will not only estab-
lish himself in the truth, but his testimony will convince
others. He will also learn to stand for himself with God as
his helper; he will touch the hearts of the people and will
have the pleasure of seeing them come to an understanding
of his message. The spirit of the gospel will shine forth from
his soul and others will partake of his light and rejoice
therein. The other course will be ineffectual, serving no
useful purpose, either to the missionary himself or to those
who, hear him, but rather leading to vanity, emptiness and
futility.

In the mission field, as in our daily lives, it is best to
be natural, rational — neither given to exaggeration of spirit-
ual gifts nor to destructive affectation in act or language.
It is best to develop simplicity of speech, earnestness of
manner, humility of spirit, and a feeling of love for our
fellows, thereby cultivating that well-balanced common sense
in our lives that shall command the respect and admiration
of the honest in heart and insure the continual presence and
aid of the Spirit of God.

Not All Men Ready To Accept the Gospel. I was
struck by a remark made by one of the brethren with respect
to the many people who saw and heard the Prophet Joseph
Smith and yet didn't believe that' he was a prophet of God, or

MISSIONARIES 451

a man raised up by the Almighty to lay the foundations of
this great latter-day work. It was said that the Lord had
not revealed it unto them. Now, I do not dispute that state-
ment, nor call it in question ; but it occurred to me that there
are thousands of men who have heard the voices of the in-
spired servants of God, unto whom the Almighty has borne
record of the truth, and yet they have not believed it. It is
my opinion that the Lord bears record to the testimonies of
his servants unto those who hear those testimonies, and it is
left with them whether or not they will harden their hearts
against the truth and not listen to it, and abide the conse-
quences. I believe the Spirit of the Almighty God is upon
most of the elders who go out into the world to proclaim
the gospel. I believe their words are accompanied by the
testimony of the Spirit of God. But all. men are not open
to receive the witness and the testimony of the Spirit. And
the responsibility will rest with them. Yet it may be possible
the Lord withholds his Spirit from some, for a wise purpose
in him, that their eyes are not opened to see and their
minds not quickened to comprehend the word of truth. As
a rule, however, it is my opinion that all men who are
seeking after the truth and are willing to receive it, will also
receive the witness of the Spirit which accompanies the
words and testimonies of the servants of the Lord; while
those whose hearts are hardened against the truth and will
not receive it when it is borne record of to them, will remain
ignorant and without a comprehension of the gospel. I
believe there are tens of thousands of people who have
heard the truth and have been pricked in their hearts, but
they are seeking every refuge they possiby can to hide
themselves from their convictions of the truth. It is among
this class that you will find the enemies to the cause of
Zion. They are opposing the truth in order to hide them-
selves from their convictions of the truth. There
are men, possibly within the sound of my voice —

452 GOSPEL DOCTRINE

certainly within the limits of this city — who have read
our books, who have listened to the discourses of the
elders, and who. are familiar with the doctrines of the
Church; but they will not acknowledge — openly, at least —
the truth of this gospel and the divinity of this work. Well,
the responsibility rests with them. God will judge them
and deal with them in his own way and time. Many of
them, through their efforts to bring reproach upon the
cause of Zion, are awakening the attention of people in the
world to "Mormonism," and thus unwittingly advancing the
cause of Zion, while they know it not. I thank God my
Father that he brings good out of the evil designed against
his people by their enemies. And he will continue to do this.
The clouds may gather over our heads, and, as in the past,
it may seem impossible for us to penetrate them; yet there
can be no clouds so dark, so gloomy or so heavy, but_God
will roll them away in his own time and will bring good out
of threatening evil. He has done it in the past, he will do it
in the future ; for it is his work, not the work of man. — Apr.
C.R., 1899, pp. 4041.

Our People Generous to Missionaries. I believe
I can confidently say that the Latter-day Saints, as a rule,
are among the most hospitable, generous and kind hearted
people that can be found upon the earth. Not long ago
one of our elders returned from a mission in the South.
There had been a question raised in his mind as to whether
the Latter-day Saints in Zion would be as open-handed, as
hospitable, as kind-hearted and as willing to receive and
entertain a stranger as were the people of the South, and he
determined to put the matter to the test. The story of his
visits to some of our people here is published in the Improve-
ment Era, No. 6, Vol. 1, p. 399. I cannot give it to you in
detail, but will only attempt a brief outline. Representing
himself as a minister of the gospel from the state of Ten-
nessee, traveling without purse or scrip, as the elders of

MISSIONARIES 453

the Church of Jesus Christ of Latter-day Saints were gen-
erally doing, he called upon Brother B. Y. Hampton, of
the Hampton House, and asked for entertainment without
charge. Bro. Hampton readily consented to take care of
him. He next called at the Temple Barber Shop, with a sim-
ilar representation, and asked for a "shave and shingle," on
the same terms, which was readily complied with, and he
was asked to "come again." He next called upon Brother
Henry Dinwoodey, and presenting himself as before, asked
for means to pay his fare on the railroad, going north,
whereupon Brother Dinwoodey handed him out the money.
Needing a mainspring in his watch, he called upon Brothers
John Daynes & Son, and introduced himself as before, and
they cheerfully repaired his watch. He then called upon
Thomas G. Webber, of Z. C. M. L, and in the same guise
asked for a pair of shoes, which Col. Webber generously
gave him. Having a tooth which needed filling, he called
at the dental parlors of Dr. Fred Clawson, whom he con-
vinced, after some difficulty, that he was not an old friend
and school mate, but really a minister of the gospel from
Tennessee, having a similar name ; the doctor readily con-
sented to filling his tooth without money or price.
Thus it was proven that the Latter-day Saints were as
generous, as kind hearted, as ready to help the stranger of
another religion, as were the good people of the Southern
States, and for that matter of any other country. Having
put these people to the test, in other words, having weighed
them in the balance and found them not wanting in each
case, he fully explained his motive and who he was, to their
mutual delight. And when the elder returned their gifts or
declined to receive the favors granted him without proper
remuneration in each case, as I understand, the brethren
insisted that what they had done was in good faith on their
part, and he was welcome to the same, believing that an
elder who had spent two years and upwards on a mission,

454 GOSPEL DOCTRINE

laboring without purse or scrip, would be likely to stand
almost as much in need of such help as would the strange
minister whom he had personated. — Apr. C. R. f 1898, pp
46-7.

Advice To Missionaries. The missionary labor ac-
complished, by the Church of Jesus Christ of Latter-day
Saints is a subject of growing comment and marvel among
people of the world who come to learn of its extent and
results. This feeling of wonder is blended with admiration
in the minds of those who study the. details of our mission-
ary system, and who are able to appreciate the self-sacrifice,
enduring faith, and God-fearing reliance by which the mis-
sionaries of the Church are distinguished. The fact that
those of our people who go forth on missions do so at their
own expense, unsalaried, indeed, without hope of pecuniary
reward, spending years away from home — usually years of
early manhood — the years that are regarded as most valu-
able in shaping the individual's course and position in life —
this fact, indeed, may well arouse the surprise and admira-
tion of the world.

Many of our devoted missionaries are valiantly striving
to do their best, and to make their best better, day by day ;
great is and greater yet shall be their reward. Others are
lacking in energy and effort; their work is done, if at all,
in a half-spirited way, and their thoughts are ever running
ahead to the time of their release and return.

To those of the first class the days are all too short
and the months too few for the exalted labors in which
they find such genuine satisfaction and happiness. To the
others the days drag and the weeks are burdensome.

The individual elder is left largely to the guidance of
the spirit of his calling, with which he should be imbued. If
he fail to cultivate that spirit, which is the spirit of energy
and application, he will soon become torpid, indolent and
unhappy. Every missionary should strive to devote part of

MISSIONARIES 455

each day to study and prayerful thought on the principles
of the gospel and the theology of the Church. He should
read and reflect and pray. True, we are opposed to the
preparing of set sermons to be delivered with the thought of
oratorical effect and rhetorical display; yet when an elder
arises to address a congregation at home on abroad, he should
be thoroughly prepared for his sermon. His mind should be
well stored with thoughts worth uttering, worth hearing,
worth remembering ; then the spirit of inspiration will bring
forth the truths of which his auditors are in need, and give
to his words the ring of authority.

Brethren — you to whom these words of admonition
apply, for your own sakes, if not for the sake of those whose
welfare is your charge — 'beware of indolence and neglect.
The adversary is only too eager to take advantage of your
apathy, and you may lose the very testimony of which you
have been sent to bear record before the world.

We would recommend to conference presidents and
other presiding officers in the various branches of the
Church, that where possible, they have the elders in their
charge follow regularly and systematically a study of the
standard works and other approved publications of the
Church, thus more fully equipping themselves as teachers to
the world.

There is little excuse for the idle man in any walk of
life; work is abundant for every one who will labor; but
least of all is there excuse or palliation in the case of a listless
or idle missionary pretending to be busy in the service of his
Lord.

It is to be earnestly recommended that elders abroad on
missions, as indeed Latter-day Saints in general, avoid con-
tentious argument and debate regarding doctrinal subjects.
The truth of the gospel does not depend for its demonstra-
tion on heated discussion ; the message of truth is most ef-

456 GOSPEL DOCTRINE

fectively delivered when expressed in words of simplicity
and sympathy.

The history of our missionary work already written
proves the futility of public debate and argument between
our elders and their opponents ; and this in spite of the fact
that in the great majority of such undertakings the forensic
victory has been won by our representatives. A testimony
of the truth is more than a mere assent of the mind, it is a
conviction of the heart, a knowledge that fills the whole soul
of its recipient.

Missionaries are sent forth to preach and teach the first
principles of the gospel, Christ and him crucified, and prac-
tically nothing more in the way of theological doctrine. They
are not commissioned to expound their own views on intri-
cate questions of theology, nor to mystify their hearers with
a show of profound learning. Teachers they are and must
be, if they meet in any degree the responsibilities of their high
calling; but they should teach as nearly as they can after the
manner of the Master — seeking to lead by love for their fel-
lows, by simple explanation and persuasion; not 'trying to
convince by force.

Brethren, leave these themes of profitless discussion
alone ; keep closely to the teachings of the revealed word, as
made plain in the standard works of the Church and through
the utterances of the living prophets ; and let not a difference
of views on abstruse matters of doctrine absorb your at-
tention lest thereby you become estranged from one another
and separated from the Spirit of the Lord.

The standard works of the Church and other approved
writings should be carefully studied and commented on by
the brethren; every Latter-day Saint and particularly every
elder in the field should seek to become learned in the gos-
pel; but let it not be forgotten that to understand the in-
spired writings aright the reader must himself have the

MISSIONARIES 457

spirit of inspiration ; and this spirit will never impel one to
hostile discussion or wordy contests.

Seek first the Kingdom of God and his righteousness,,
and all else that is desirable, including the knowledge for
which you yearn, shall be given unto you. — Juvenile Instruc-
tor, Vol. 38, October 15, 1903, p. 624.

Missionaries and the Word- of Wisdom. Young
men cannot hope to be successful missionaries who violate
the Word of Wisdom. Its observance is necessary to that
spiritual fervor and assurance which carry conviction to the
hearts' of those who receive the words of the elders. The
absolute necessity of the observance of the Word of Wisdom
in the missionary field makes it desirable that all who violate
this important law to the people, reform before they can hope
to accomplish anything helpful to others, either by precept or
example.

There is no thoughtful Latter-day Saint who does not
look forward with some pleasure to the time when his son
will be called on a mission. No greater honor can come to a
home than a call to represent the work of the Lord among
the nations ; yet parents are too frequently indifferent about
the preparation that their sons receive prior to the call to fill
a mission. Fundamental in that preparaiton is the observ-
ance of the Word of Wisdom. So important do I esteem this
subject that at a recent conference in the Beaver stake I
was led to speak upon it at considerable length. The ex-
tracts that follow from that discourse should be of interest
and deep concern to every reader of the Juvenile Instructor :

"Now, I do wish with all my heart — not because I say
it, but because it is written in the word of the Lord — that
you would give heed to this Word of Wisdom. It was given
unto us 'not by commandment' ; but by the word of President
Brigham Young, it was made a commandment unto the
Saints. It is written here for our guidance, for our hap-
piness and advancement in every principle that pertains to

458 GOSPEL DOCTRINE

the kingdom of God, in time and throughout eternity, and I
pray you to observe it. It will do you good; it will ennoble
your souls ; it will free your thoughts and your hearts from
the spirit of destruction ; it will make you feel like God, who
sustains even the sparrow, that it does not fall to the
ground without his notice ; it will bring you nearer to the
similitude of the Son of God, the Savior of the world, who
healed the sick, who made the lame to leap for joy, who
restored hearing to the deaf and sight to the blind, who
distributed peace, joy, and comfort to all with w T hom he came
in contact, and who cursed and destroyed nothing, save it
was the barren fig tree, and that was to show forth his power
more than anything else :

" 'And all saints who remember to keep and do these
sayings, walking in obedience to the commandments, shall
receive health in their navel, and marrow to their bones.

" f And shall find wisdom and great treasures of knowl-
edge, even hidden treasures ;

" ' And shall run and not be weary, and shall walk and
not faint.

" ' And I, the Lord, give unto them a promise, that the
destroying angel shall pass by them, as the children of
Israel, and not slay them.' Doc. and Cov. 89.

"Are these glorious promises not sufficient to induce us
to observe this Word of Wisdom? Is there not something
here that is worthy our attention? Are not 'great treas-
ures' of knowledge, even 'hidden treasures/ something to be
desired? But when I see men and women addicting them-
selves to the use of tea and coffee, or strong drinks, or to-
bacco in any form, I say to myself, here are men and women
who do not appreciate the promise God has made unto
them. They trample it under their feet, and treat it as a
thing of naught. They despise the word of God, and go
contrary to it in their actions. Then when affliction over-
takes them, they are almost ready to curse God, because he

MISSIONARIES 459

will not hear their prayers and they are left to endure sick-
ness and pain.

"And among the least things that we should do is to
keep the Word of Wisdom. Brethren and sisters, do not be
so weak! I recollect a circumstance that occurred three
years ago in a party that I was traveling with. There were
one or two who persisted in having their tea and coffee at
every place they stopped. I preached the Word of Wisdom
right along; but they said, 'What does it matter? Here is
So-and-so, who drinks tea and coffee.' Thus the act of one
woman or one man nullified not only all that I or my breth-
ren .said in relation to it, but also the word of God itself.
I said at one time, 'Oh, yes, you say it is a good thing to
drink a little tea or coffee, but the Lord says it is not.
Which shall I follow?' The Lord says that if we will ob-
serve the Word of Wisdom we shall have access to great
treasures of knowledge, and hidden treasures ; we shall run
and not be weary, we shall walk and not faint; and the
destroying angel shall pass us by, as he did the children of
Israel, and not slay us. But the class of men of whom I
speak say, in effect, 'We don't care what the Lord says or
promises, we will drink tea and coffee anyhow.' Such
people will set a bad example, no matter what others say
or what God has said. They will take the bits in their
own mouths, and do as they please, regardless of the effect
upon the Saints. I say, out upon such practices! If I
could not travel with the people of God and observe the
laws of God, I would quit traveling. But if the Lord will
give me strength to keep his word, so that I can teach it
conscientiously, from the heart as well as from the lips, I
will visit you, and labor with you, and plead with you. I
will pray for you and earnestly beseech you, my brethren and
sisters, especially the young men of Zion, to cease prac-
ticing these forbidden things, and observe the laws of God,
so that you can run and not be weary, walk and not faint,

460 GOSPEL DOCTRINE

and have access to great treasures of knowledge, hidden
treasures, and every blessing that the Lord has promised
through obedience." — Juvenile Instructor, Vol. 37, Decem-
ber, 1902, p. 721.

Caution To Missionaries. I am sorry to say it, but
if these two boys, recently drowned, had kept away from
those rivers, where they had no special duty, or calling,
they would not have been drowned as they were. I would
like it to be understood by the presidents of missions, and
by the elders, that are out in the world, that it is not a
good thing, neither is it at all wise for our elders to go out
on excursions, on dangerous lakes, or streams, or bodies of
water, just for fun. They would better keep away. The
Lord will protect them in the discharge of their duty ; and
if they are more careful of their health, there will not be
so many of them become a prey to disease. We know of
some incidents that were the cause of the death of some of
our brethren who have passed away in the mission field.
They lacked caution. They did not exercise the best wis-
dom and judgment. They went too far for their strength
and were not as careful of themselves as they ought to
have been. I do not speak this to blame these brethren.
I have not the least doubt but they have done according to
the best wisdom they possessed; but there is such a thing
as overdoing. A man may fast and pray till he kills him-
self, and there isn't any necessity for it; nor wisdom in
it. I say to my brethren, when they are fasting, and pray-
ing for the sick, and for those who need faith and prayer,
do not go beyond what is wise and prudent in fasting and
prayer. The Lord can hear a simple prayer, offered in faith,
in half a dozen words, and he will recognize fasting that may
not continue more than twenty-four hours, just as readily
and as effectually as he will answer a prayer of a thousand
words and fasting for a month. Now, remember it. I
have in mind elders now on missions, anxious to excel their

MISSIONARIES 461

associates. Each wants to get the most "red marks" of credit,
and so he will exert himself beyond his strength; and it is
unwise to do it. The Lord will accept that which is enough,
with a good deal more pleasure and satisfaction than that
which is too much and unnecessary. It is good to be earn-
est, good to be diligent, to persevere, and to be faithful all
the time, but we may go to extremes in these things, when
we do not need to. The Word of Wisdom dictates that when
we become weary we should stop and rest. When we
are threatened with exhaustion through over exertion,
wisdom would caution us to wait, to stop; not to take a
stimulant to urge us on to greater extremes, go where we
can retire and rest and recuperate according to the laws
of nature. That is the best way to do.

Now, I do not blame my dear brethren who have met
with death abroad; yet, I wish that they could and would
have escaped it.— Oct. C. R., 1912, pp. 134-135.

Health of Missionaries To Be Guarded. Presi-
dents of all the Missions are under strict instructions from
the Presidency of the Church to guard carefully the health
of the elders that are laboring under their direction. These
presidents of Missions are also under instructions to send
home any and all elders whose health or whose other cir-
cumstances may make it necessary for them to return. —
Oct. C. R., 1904, p. 41.

Missionaries In III Health. I would like to ex-
hort the elders who are upon missions, and those who shall
go upon missions in the future, not to allow the thoughts to
enter their hearts that they will be criticised or be made to
suffer in their character or their standing in the Church be-
cause their health will not permit them to fulfil a two or
three years' mission abroad. We would like them rather to.
feel in themselves a wholesome aversion to coming home
without having rilled an honorable mission, when their
health and other conditions will permit them to do so ; and

462 GOSPEL DOCTRINE

if they have any reluctance about coming home at all, be-
fore completing their missions, it should be based upon this
principle.— Oct. C. 7?. f 1904, p. 42.

Care of Returned Missionaries. It is also a good
thing for the bishops in all the wards to look after their
returned missionaries. It is a pity that after so many of our
boys who go abroad and fill good missions return home,
they should be apparently dropped or ignored by the pre-
siding authorities of the Church and be permitted to drift
away again into carelessness and indifference, and event-
ually, perhaps, to wander entirely away from their Church
duties. They should be kept in the harness, they should
be made active in the work of the ministry, in some way
that they may better keep the spirit of the gospel in their
minds and in their hearts and be useful at home as well as
abroad.

There is no question as to the fact that missionary
service is required and is as necessary in Zion, or here at
home, as it is abroad. Many people seem to be careless
with reference to the proper training of their children. We
see too many boys that are falling into very careless, if not
into pernicious, ways and habits. Every missionary boy
who returns from his mission full of faith and good desire
should take it upon himself to become a savior as far as
possible of his young and less experienced associates at
home. When a returned missionary sees a boy falling into
bad ways and is becoming accustomed to bad habits, he
should feel that it is his duty to take hold of him, in con-
nection with the presiding authorities of the stake or of
the ward in which he lives, and exercise all the power and
influence he can for the salvation of that erring young man
who has not the experience that our elders abroad have
had, and thus become a means of saving many and of
establishing them more firmly in the truth. — Oct. C. R.,
1914, pp. 4-5.

MISSIONARIES. 463

Work For Returned Missionaries. Returned mis-
sionaries ought to be in demand where brave hearts, strong
minds and willing hands are wanted. The genius of the
gospel is not that of negative goodness — mere absence of
what is bad; it stands for aggressive energy well directed,
for positive goodness — in short, for work.

We hear much of men who are specially gifted, of
geniuses in the world's affairs ; and many of us force our-
selves to think that we are capable of little and therefore may
as well take life easy since we do not belong to that favored
class. True, not all are endowed with the same gifts, nor
is every one imbued with the strength of a giant; yet
every son and every daughter of God has received some
talent, and each will be held to strict account for the use
or misuse to which it is put. The spirit of genius is the
spirit of hard work, plodding toil, whole-souled devotion to
the labor of the day.

Let no one think that any honorable labor is beneath
him; harbor no dislike for the work of the hands, but let
the mind direct them in skill and energy. The example set
by our late beloved President Wilford Woodruff has often
been cited abroad, and held up for the admiration and
emulation of those who are not of us ; it is that of most of
the leading men of our Church. Even in his old age he
did his share of physical toil, and rejoiced in his ability to
"hoe his row" and hold his own with his grand-children on
the farm.

"My son, be up and doing, and the Lord be with thee.
— Juvenile Instructor, Vol. 38, p. 689.

Duty of a Person Called on a Mission. When a
man is called to go on a mission, and a field of labor is as-
signed to him, he should, I think, say in his heart, "Not my
will be done, but thine, O Lord." — Deseret Weekly Nezvs,
Vol. 33, 1884, p. 226.

CHAPTER XXI.
False Teachings

The Devil's Knowledge. The devil knows the Father
much better than we. Lucifer, the son of the morning, knows
j esus Christ, the Son of God, much better than we ; but in him
it is not and will not redound to eternal life ; for knowing, he
yet rebels ; knowing, he is yet disobedient ; he will not receive
the truth ; he will not abide in the truth ; hence he is perdi-
tion, and there is no salvation for him. The same doctrine
applies to me and to you and all the sons and daughters of
God who have judgment and knowledge and are able to
reason between cause and effect, and determine the right
from the wrong, and the good from the evil and who are
capable of seeing the light and distinguishing it from the
darkness. Then this is the gospel of Jesus Christ, to know
the only true and living God and his Son whom he has sent
into the world, which knowledge comes through obedience
to all his commandments, faith, repentance of sin, baptism
by immersion for the remission of sins, the gift of the Holy
Ghost by the laying on of hands by divine authority, and
not by the will of man. — Apr. C. R., 1916, p. 4.

The Enemy of Thruth Always Arrayed Against
This Work. From the day that the Prophet Joseph Smith
first declared his vision until now, the enemy of all righteous-
ness, the enemy of truth, of virtue, of honor, uprightness,
and purity of life, the enemy to the only true God, the
enemy to direct revelation from God and to the inspirations
that come from the heavens to man, has been arrayed against
this work.— Apr. C. R., 1909, p. 4.

Why the Truth is Hated. Why should men be embit-
tered against you because of this, because of your belief in
Joseph Smith? Why should they become your enemies

FALSE TEACHINGS, 465

because you declare your faith in a new revelation from the
Father and from the Son to mankind for their guidance?
Why should they? Let me tell you why: for the very same
reason precisely that the embittered and unbelieving Phar-
isees and hypocrites of the Savior's time persecuted the
Redeemer of earth, for the very reason that they later put
to death the disciples of Jesus Christ, whom he ordained as
apostles and as special witnesses of himself, who bore
testimony of him and of the gospel to all the nations of the
earth. They put them to death one by one, some of them in
the most cruel manner, simply because they preached Jesus
Christ, and him crucified and risen from the dead, and
ascended into heaven, and sitting with all glory and power
and majesty and might at the right hand of his Father, God,
The world felt injured by it. Why? Because it laid the ax
at the root of the tree of error, of superstition, and of tradi-
tion, of lack of faith, and unbelief. It laid the ax at the root
of the tree of wickedness, in the world, and of ignorance of
God and his principles, and the plan of life and salvation,
and the world hated the disciples because of it, and they
hated the Son of God because of it, and they crucified him.
They hated the disciples because of it, and they put them to
death. That is why they hate you, for the same reason ; that
is, those who do hate you, those who have exercised their
power, their will and their thoughts or minds sufficiently to
be imbued with the spirit of persecution and hatred against
the light and the truth.— Oct. C. R., 1911, p. 5.

Only Those who Deny the Faith Contend. You
find the spirit of contention only among apostates and those
who have denied the faith, those who have turned away from
the truth and have become enemies to God and his work.
There you will find the spirit of contention, the spirit of
strife. There you will find them wanting to "argue the
question," and to dispute with you all the time. Their food,
their meat, and their drink is contention which is abominable

31

466 GOSPEL DOCTRINE

in the sight of the Lord. We do not contend. We are not
contentious, for if we were we would grieve the Spirit of
the Lord from us, just as apostates do and have always
done.— Apr. C. R. } 1908, p. 7.

Beware of False Teachers. I know that this is the
work of God', and he is carrying it on. The honor of triumph
over error, sin and injustice will belong to God and not to
you or me, or any other man. Some men there will be who
would limit the power of God to the power of men, and we
have some of these among us and they have been among our
school teachers. They would have you disbelieve the inspired
accounts of the Scriptures that the winds and the waves are
not subject to the power of God. That the claim of the
Savior to cast out devils, raise the dead, or perform miracu-
lous things, such as cleanse the leper, was only a myth. They
would make you believe that God and his son Jesus Christ
did not appear in person to Joseph Smith, that this was
simply a myth, but we know better; the testimony of the
Spirit has testified that this is the truth. And I say, beware
of men who come to you with heresies that things come by
laws of nature of themselves, and that God is without power.
I am thankful that men who make such claims are few in
number in the world, and I hope they will become fewer
still. — Logan Journal, April 7, 1914.

Where to Expect False Doctrines. Among the
Latter-day Saints, the preaching of false doctrines disguised
as truths of the gospel, may be expected from people of two
classes, and practically from these only ; they are :

First — The hopelessly ignorant, whose lack of intelli-
gence is due to their indolence and sloth, who make but
feeble effort, if indeed any at all, to better themselves by
reading and study; those who are afflicted with a dread
disease that may develop into an incurable malady — laziness.

Second — The proud and self-vaunting ones, who read by

FALSE TEACHINGS. 467

the lamp of their own conceit ; who interpret by rules of their
own contriving; who have become a law unto themselves,
and so pose as the sole judges of their own doings. More
dangerously ignorant than the first.

Beware of the lazy and the proud; their infection in
each case is contagious ; better for them and for all when
they are compelled to display the yellow flag of warning,
that the clean and uninfected may be protected. — Juvenile
Instructor, Vol. 41, p. 178.

Knowledge of Sin Unnecessary. It has been very
wisely said that "the knowledge of sin tempteth to its com-
mission."

It has been said that now and then the morbid curiosity
of a missionary leads him into questionable places, and the
only excuse he has for visiting these dens of vice is that he
would like to see the shady side of life in some of our great
cities that he may know thereof for himself. He wants to see
"Paris by night" in order that he may know something of the
actual life of vast numbers of his fellowmen. Such knowl-
edge can have no beneficial effect upon the thoughts or
feelings of the missionary who seeks it. It does not strenghten
him in the duties of his calling. It is a peculiar sort of knowl-
edge that is enticing to the feelings and imaginations, and
tends in some measure to degrade the soul.

It is not necessary that our young people should know
of the wickedness carried on in any place. Such knowledge is
not elevating, and it is quite likely that more than one young
man can trace the first step of his downfall to a curiosity
which led him into questionable places. Let the young men
of Zion, whether they be on missions or whether they be at
home, shun all dens of infamy. It is not necessary that they
should know what is going on in such places. No man is
better or stronger for such knowledge. Let them remember
that "the knowledge of sin tempteth to its commission," and
then avoid those temptations that in time to come may

468 GOSPEL DOCTRINE

threaten their virtue and their standing in the Church of
Christ. — Juvenile Instructor, Vol. 37, May, 1902, p, 304.

Retreat from Evil. Sometimes in life, we are brought
face to face with an enemy whose evil ways are beyond our
power of combat, a victory over which cannot be hoped for.
There is only one escape from moral annihilation and that
is in retreat. The man with accumulated and unforgiven
wrong behind him may find all retreat cut off and his
condition in the world hopeless ; and he who recklessly cuts
off every opportunity of retreat by the neglected evils of the
past is most unfortunate.

The daily practice, then, of seeking divine mercy and
forgiveness as we go along, gives us power to escape evils,
that can be overcome only by a safe retreat from them. —
Juvenile Instructor, Vol. 44, August, 1909, p. 339.

The Law of Recompense. Let me impress it upon
you that one never can hold quite the same relation to a law
of God which he has transgressed, as if one has lived in
conformity with its requirements. It is unreasonable to
expect it, and contrary to the laws of nature to conclude that
you can. If a person has determined that sin can easily be
wiped out, and hence, that he will enjoy unlawful pleasures
in youth, repenting in later life with an idea in his mind that
repentance will blot out completely the results of his sin and
debauchery, and place him on a level with his fellow who
has kept in virtue the commandments, from the beginning —
time will wake him up to his serious and great mistake. He
may and will be forgiven, if he repent; the blood of Christ
will make him free, and will wash him clean, though his sins
be as scarlet; but all this will not return to him any loss
sustained, nor place him on an equal footing with his neigh-
bor who has kept the commandments of the better law. Nor
will it place him in the position where he would have been,
had he not committed wrong. He has lost something which
can never be regained, notwithstanding the perfection, the

FALSE TEACHINGS, 469

loving mercy, the kindness and forgiveness of the Lord God.
— Improvement Era, Vol. 7, January, 1904, p. 225.

Sympathy with Criminals. There is a deplorable
tendency among the people of this nation to sympathize with
murderers, bank defaulters, evil adventurers, and a hundred
other classes of criminals who are at large or who have been
arrested or convicted for breaking the law. Such a tendency
is not alone manifest among the people of the various states
and territories of our nation, it is also apparent among the
Latter-day Saints. This sympathy for criminals is entirely
abnormal, and has a tendency to lower and destroy the moral
sentiment of any people who indulge in it. For a Latter-day
Saint to sympathize either with crime or with -criminals, is a
burning shame, and it is high time that the teachers of the
community should stem such tendency and inculcate a senti-
ment that would make it extremely abhorent to commit
crime. Young men may please God by thinking right, by
acting right, by shunning, as they would destruction, not
only every crime, but the spirit to either see or sympathize
with the criminal, or to hear or read the detail of his dam-
nable acts. It is an old saying, that we are what we think;
then, to be a good Latter-day Saint it is necessary to think
pure thoughts, to imbibe pure ideas, and to let the mind dwell
continually upon the noble things, and the good deeds, and
the exalted thoughts of life, discarding all sympathy or
interest for crime and criminals, and all thought of evil. The
man or woman who will resort to the court room, who will
visit criminals with flowers, who will read and constantly
duscuss every detail of crime, should be condemned, frowned
upon, and their actions should be made detestable in the
eyes of the pure in heart. When a murderer is condemned,
he should be detested, dropped, and forgotten ; and so also
should criminals of other classes who sin grievously against
law and the commandments of God. — Improvement Era,
Vol. 5, August, 1902, p. 803.

470 GOSPEL DOCTRINE

The Crime of Witchcraft and Other Supersti-
tions. After all the horrors, persecutions, and cruelties that
have been brought about by the senseless belief in witchcraft,
it seems strange in this age of enlightenment that men or
women, especially those who have received the gospel, can
be found anywhere who believe in such a pernicious super-
stition. The Bible and history alike conclusively brand this
superstition as a child of evil. In ancient times, God required
the Israelites to drive the Canaanites from their land, and
witchcraft was one of the crimes which he laid at the door
of the Canaanites, and for which they were adjudged
unworthy of the land which they possessed.

Witchcraft has not infrequently been the last resort of
the evil doer. Men bereft of the Spirit of God, when the
voice of the Lord has ceased to warn them, have frequently
resorted to witchcraft, in the endeavor to learn that which
Heaven withheld; and the people of God from very early
days to the present have been troubled with superstitious and
evil-minded persons who have resorted to divination and
kindred devices for selfish purposes, and scheming designs.
In the middle ages it rested like a nightmare upon all
Christendom.

Let it not be forgotten that the evil one has great power
in the earth, and that by every possible means he seeks to
darken the minds of men, and then offers them falsehood and
deception in the guise of truth. .Satan is a skilful imitator,
and as genuine gospel truth is given the world in ever-
increasing abundance, so he spreads the counterfeit coin of
false doctrine. Beware of his spurious currency, it will
purchase for you nothing but disappointment, misery and
spiritual death. The "father of lies" he has been called, and
such an adept has he become, through the ages of practice in
his nefarious work, that were it possible he would deceive
the very elect.

Those* who turn to soothsayers and wizards for their

FALSE TEACHINGS. 471

information are invariably weakening their faith. When
men began to forget the God of their fathers who had
declared himself in Eden and subsequently to the later
patriarchs, they accepted the devil's substitute and made for
themselves gods of wood and stone. It was thus that the
abominations of idolatry had their origin.

The gifts of the Spirit and the powers of the holy
priesthood are of God, they are given for the blessing of the
people, for their encouragement, and for the strengthening
of their faith. This Satan knows full well, therefore he seeks
by imitation-miracles to blind and deceive the children of
God. Remember what the magicians of Egypt accomplished
in their efforts to deceive Pharaoh as to the divinity of the
mission of Moses and Aaron. John the Revelator saw in
vision the miracle-working power of the evil one. Note his
words : "And I beheld another beast coming up out of the
earth ; * * * and he doeth great wonders, so that he maketh
fire come down from heaven on the earth in the sight of men.
And deceiveth them that dwell on the earth, by the means of
those miracles, " etc. (Rev. 13:11-14.) Further, John saw
three unclean spirits whom he describes as "the spirits of
devils, working miracles." (Rev. 16:13-14.)

That the power to work wonders may come from an
evil source is declared by Christ in his prophecy regarding
the great judgment: "Many will say to me in that day, Lord,
Lord, have we not prophesied in thy name? and in thy name
have cast out devils ? and in thy name done many wonderful
works ? And then will I profess unto them, I never knew you ;
depart from me, ye that work iniquity" (Mate. 7:22-23).

The danger and power for evil in witchcraft is not so
much in the witchcraft itself as in the foolish credulence that
superstitious people give to the claims made in its behalf. It
is outrageous to believe that the devil can hurt or injure an
innocent man or woman, especially if they are members of
the Church of Christ — without that man or woman has faith

472 GOSPEL DOCTRINE

that he or she can be harmed by such an influence and by
such means. If they entertain such an idea, then they are
liable to succumb to their own superstitions. There is no
power in witchcraft itself, only as it is believed in and ac-
cepted. — Juvenile Instructor, Vol. 37, p. 560.

Superstitious Practices. It is needless to assert that
to those who are intelligent, and not bound by old notions
and superstitions, there is no truth in what people call witch-
craft. Men and women who come under the influence of a
belief therein are bewitched by their own foolishness, and
are led astray by pretenders and mischief-makers who "peep
and mutter." It is really astonishing that there should be
any to believe in these absurdities. No man or woman who
enjoys the Spirit of God and the influence and power of the
holy priesthood can believe in these superstitious notions;
and those who do, will lose, indeed have lost, the influence
of the Spirit of God and of the priesthood, and are become
subject to the witchery of Satan, who is constantly striving
to draw away the Saints from the true way, if not by the dis-
semination of such nonsense, then by other insidious meth-
ods.

One individual can not place an affliction upon another
in the way that these soothsayers would have the people
believe. It is a trick of Satan to deceive men and women,
and to draw them away from the Church and from the in-
fluence of the Spirit of God, and the power of his holy
priesthood, that they may be destroyed. These peep-stone-
men and women are inspired by the devil, and are the real
witches, if any such there be. Witchcraft, and all kindred
evils, are solely the creations of the superstitious imagina-
tions of men and women who are steeped in ignorance, and
derive their power over people from the devil, and those
who submit to this influence are deceived by him. Unless
they repent, they will be destroyed. There is absolutely no
possibility for a person who enjoys the Holy Spirit of God

FALSE TEACHINGS, 473

to even believe that such influences can have any effect upon
him. The enjoyment of the Holy Spirit is absolute proof
against all influences of evil ; you never can obtain that
Spirit by seeking diviners, and men and women who "peep
and mutter." That is obtained by imposition of hands by
the servants of God, and retained by right living. If you have
lost it, repent and return to God, and for your salvation's
sake and for the sake of your children, avoid the emissaries
of Satan who 'peep and mutter" and who would lead you
down to darkness and death.

It is impossible for anyone possessing the spirit of the
gospel and having the power of the holy priesthood to be-
lieve in or be influenced by any power of necromancy. —
Improvement Era, Vol. 5, September, 1902, p. 896-899.

The Messiah Craze. Your communication has been
received. In response, I send you a few of my reflections
on the subject of the so-called "Messiah craze" among the
Lamanites.

Just what these manifestations have been is a matter
of some doubt, in my mind, not as to their evident purpose,
judging from the many newspaper reports of the main fea-
tures of the manifestations so much talked about, for it
seems clear that the purpose or object thereof has been to
awaken in the benighted minds of these degenerate people
a belief and faith in and ultimately a knowledge of a cruci-
fied and risen Redeemer, and the righteous precepts which
he taught.

That God will manifest his purposes to the Lamanites
in his own time and way there can be no doubt in the minds
of those who believe in the divine authenticity of the Book
of Mormon — for in that book this fact is made unmistak-
ably clear, but just how he will do so in every particular,
and just what agencies he will use to bring about his pur-
poses in this regard, may be matters of conjecture beyond
what has actually been revealed, One of the agencies, we

474 GOSPEL DOCTRINE

know will be the Book of Mormon itself. Through the
medium of the holy priesthood, which has been restored to
the earth in these latter times, God will also operate to ac-
complish his will. So far, however, but little of good has
been effected through either of these channels, on account
of the extremely benighted condition of the minds, and the
wild, nomadic habits of the red men. And for many other
sufficient reasons they have not been susceptible to the im-
pressions of the Holy Spirit, nor capable of rising to the
comprehension of its power.

The time had not come, and is not yet come, for them
to receive the message and the work bequeathed them by
their fathers, as designed of God — but the time will come,
and may be nearer at hand than many anticipate. That these
supernatural manifestations, if they indeed are such, indicate
the beginning of that time may without inconsistency be be-
lieved. To suppose that the work will be accomplished in a
day — or in any very brief period — would be folly. God has
not heretofore worked, nor will he be likely to so work
among this remnant of his people. Their fall and degrada-
tion came slowly, by degrees, and in like manner will their
redemption, doubtless, come to pass. Yet he will cut his
work short in righteousness, and it behooves the Saints to
be always ready.

That the Lord will hasten their enlightenment by means
of dreams, visions, and heavenly manifestations, when the
time shall come, and that holy messengers may appear to
them from time to time and that among them shall yet be
inspired men of God raised up as teachers to instruct them
in the truth, we cannot doubt, for these things have been
promised in the last times both in the Book of Mormon and
in the Bible, and also in the revelations to Joseph Smith the
prophet. But all these things will come to pass as God has
determined, in his own time and way. And blessed will he
be who shall be worthy to bear the message of good tidings

FALSE TEACHINGS. 475

and the offering of peace, the word of God and the means
of redemption to the seed of Joseph, to whom the promises
are made, and woe to him who shall despise and scoff in the
day of God's power.

With reference to who the personage is (one or more)
who is claimed by the Lamanites to have visited them, there
appears to me to be room for grave doubts. From all the
reports I have seen upon this subject, it is not at all con-
clusive to my mind that he was indeed the Messiah. Upon
this point we must consider the sources of our information ;
it has come to us second handed, through interpreters and
writers whose knowledge of the Lamanitish tongues may or
may not be very imperfect, who have absolutely no knowl-
edge of the ancient history of the race, and of the purposes
and promises of God concerning them. That they know the
scriptural account of Jesus, the Son of God, his crucifixion,
resurrection, and ascension on high, with the promise to
come again in like manner as he ascended, and this only, we
need not question ; but knowing only this and nothing more
respecting this matter, they might easily be misled by the
reports coming from persons far removed from the actual
witnesses.

And yet to a Latter-day Saint, who knows something of
the history of those people and of the promises made to them
by their forefathers, hearing the same story, would conclude
that perhaps one or more of the three Nephite disciples who
tarried, whose mission was to minister to the remnants of
their own race, had made an appearance to Porcupine and
perhaps to many others, and taught them Jesus and him
crucified and risen from the dead, and that he was soon to
come again in power and great glory to avenge them of
their wrongs upon the wicked and restore them to their lands
and to the knowledge of their fathers and of the Son of
God.

This would be a very natural conclusion and not at all

476 GOSPEL DOCTRINE

inconsistent with the established principles of the gospel
and our knowledge of the manner of God's dealings with
the children of men. While it is more than likely that Christ
might send messengers to the Lamanites to prepare the way
for his coming in the fulness of time, it is highly improbable
that Christ himself would appear to a people so utterly un-
prepared to receive and comprehend him.

True, the Father and the Son appeared to the boy Jo-
seph in the beginning of this dispensation, but he was a
chosen instrument from eternity to open up the last dispen-
sation of the gospel, and God had prepared a chosen band to
join him in that work. But Moroni, John, Peter, James and
John, and diverse other messengers were sent to open the
way and prepare the foundations of this great work and re-
store the records of 'the ancient people of this continent to
the world. The foundations of that work having been laid,
the authority of God established, the order of the Priesthood
and the laws of the Church revealed, shall we look for these
things to be ignored, or for the knowledge of God to come
through the appointed channels ?

While they will come in harmony with revealed and
established truth, and not in conflict therewith, nor in con-
flict with the order of heaven which exists on the earth, the
object to be attained by such manifestations as the Laman-
ites claim to have had, admitting the same to be true and
from God, can be no other than to begin the preparation of
the Lamanites to receive a correct knowledge of God and of
their fathers, and of the holy gospel already revealed and
established among men, that they might believe, obey and be
saved thereby.

Far be it from me to wish to close the channels of com-
munication between the Savior of the world himself and the
remnants of Lehi. No one can be more free to admit his per-
fect right and power to visit whom he pleases, at his pleas-
ure, for the channels of communication between God and

FALSE TEACHINGS. 477

man cannot be cut off nor closed by man, nor ever will be
while God has a purpose to accomplish by revealing him-
self. But that we may not be deceived, led into error,
tossed to and fro by every wind of doctrine, the foolish
vagaries or the cunning craftiness of men, or follow the
false cry of, Lo here is Christ, or there, God has instituted
the true order of communication between himself and man,,
and has established it in his Church, and to this truth all
mankind wHl do well to take heed, lest they be deceived.
That which is in harmony with this is of God, that which is
contrary to it is from beneath. It is in perfect harmony with
the order of heaven for ministering spirits or messengers
from God or Christ to visit the Lamanites or any other peo-
ple, as Cornelius of old was visited, and as Christ visited
Saul, and for the same purposes. — Letter to Editor of Young
Woman's Journal in answer to question regarding reported
visitations to Indians. Young Woman's Journal, Vol 2,
1890-1891, pp. 268-271.

One Mighty and Strong. In conclusion we would
say that the Latter-day Saints by this time should be so
well settled in the conviction that God has established his
Church in the earth for the last time, to remain, and no more
to be thrown down or destroyed ; and that God's house is a
house of order, of law, of regularity, that erratic disturbers
of that order of men of restless temperament, who, through
ignorance and egotism, become vain babblers, yet make great
pretentions to prophetic powers and other spiritual graces
and gifts, ought not to have any influence wrth them, nor
ought the Saints to be disturbed in their spirit by such char-
acters and their theories. The Church of Christ is with the
Saints. It has committed to it the law of God for its own
government and perpetuation. It possesses every means for
the correction of every wrong or abuse or error which may
from time to time arise, and that without anarchy, or even
revolution ; it can do it by process of evolution — by develop-

478 GOSPEL DOCTRINE

ment, by an increase of knowledge, wisdom, patience and
charity.

The presiding quorums of the Church will always be
composed of such men, they will be chosen in such manner,
that the Saints can be assured that solid wisdom, righteous-
ness, and conscientious adherence to duty, will characterize
the policy of those who are entrusted with the administra-
tion of the affairs of the Church. While, from time to time,
as the work of the Lord may have need of their services, men
of exceptional talents and abilities, will develop among the
people of God; and without disorder or eruption or excite-
ment, they will be called of the Lord through the appointed
agencies of the priesthood and Church authority, to positions
that will afford them opportunity for service. They will be
accepted by the Saints in the regular order, appointed by
the law of theChurch, just as Edward Partridge was called
and accepted, and just as the "one mighty and strong" will be
called and accepted when the time comes for his services.

Joseph F. Smith,
John R. Winder,
Anthon H. Lund,

First Presidency.

—Improvement Era, Vol. 10, 1906-7, pp. 929-943.

CHAPTER XXII.

Auxiliary Organizations

Definition of Auxiliary Organizations. I have
in mind our auxiliary organizations; what are they? Helps
to the standard organizations of the Church. They are not
independent. I want to say to the Young Men's and Young
Ladies' Mutual Improvement Associations, and to the Relief
Society, ;md to the Primaries, and to the Sunday schools,
and Religion classes, and all the rest of the organizations in
the Church, that not one of them is independent of the
priesthood of the Son of God, not any of them can exist
a moment in the acceptance of the Lord when they withdraw
from the voice and from the counsel of those who hold the
priesthood and preside over them. They are subject to the
powers and authority of the Church, and they are not inde-
pendent of them ; nor can they exercise any rights in their
organizations independently of the priesthood and of the
Church.— Apr. C. R. y 1913, p. 7.

Place of Auxiliary Organizations in the Church.
It is^ sometimes argued that the auxiliary organizations of
the Church are not councils of the priesthood. This is ad-
mitted, but, on the other hand, the board's — general, stake
and ward — are composed of men holding the priesthood, and
though being called to be an officer in an auxiliary organiza-
tion confers no additional office in the priesthood, it takes
none away — the brother still remains a high priest, seventy,
or elder as before. Furthermore, the officers of these organ-
izations are duly presented at the general or local confer-
ences, as the case may be, and are there sustained by the
vote of the people, and by that vote, these organizations be-
come recognized institutions of the Church, and as such
the officers should be respected in their callings and given

480 GOSPEL DOCTRINE

recognition and support in the performance of their duties
in all that relates to the bodies which they represent.

The principles laid down in the foregoing relating to the
Sunday Schools apply equally to all auxiliary organizations
of the Church. — Juvenile Instructor, Vol. 39, January 1,
1904, pp. 17-18.

Relation Between Authorities of Ward and Aux-
iliary Organizations. Questions are frequently asked
touching the relationship that should exist between the pre-
siding authorities of a ward and the authorities of an aux-
iliary organization, such, for example, as the superintendent
of the Sunday School. The organizations of the Church are
intended to promote harmony, and if understood there is no
reason why discord should arise between the bishop and
those called upon to act in the auxiliary organizations. The
question is often asked, for instance, who should select and
install a superintendent of a Sunday School, or what step
should be taken in cases where the superintendent of a
school for any reason whatever vacates his office. The first
step in case the superintendent vacates his office is for his
first or second assistant, as the case may be, to request the
secretary of the school either to notify or remind the bishop
of the ward of the vacancy, and at the same time notify the
stake superintendent of Sunday Schools ; and this notice or
reminder should be given to the bishop and stake super-
intendent at the earliest possible convenience in order that
all unnecessary delays may be avoided. The second step in
such cases, is the selection of the proper officer or officers to
fill the vacancy or vacancies. It is, of course, within the
authority of the bishop of a ward to select and install the
superintendent of the Sunday School in his ward, but bish-
ops of wards should not take such a step without the co-
operation of the stake superintendent. This last named
officer represents the presidency of the stake in carrying on
the work of this auxiliary organization of the Church. The

AUXILIARY ORGANIZATIONS 481

stake presidency holds the stake superintendent responsible
in a large measure for the character of the man and the
progress of the work of the Sunday Schools throughout the
stake, and the bishops therefore who proceed to select and
install the ward superintendent without the approval or
knowledge of the stake superintendent, does not show proper
respect for him or for the stake president, who is entitled to
be represented, in the selection of a ward superintendent.
On the other hand, a stake superintendent is not author-
ized to organize the superintendency of a Sunday School
without consulting the bishop of the ward, with whom it is
his duty to be in complete harmony. There is wisdom, as
well as order, in the mutual recognition of these stake and
ward authorities. In the first place, the superintendent, by
reason of his experience in Sunday School work, and his
knowledge of the special qualifications required, may be,
from his point of view, well qualified to make suitable rec-
ommendations. On the other hand, the bishop is, or at any
rate should be, more familiar than any one else with the
character and daily lives of the members of his ward. After
satisfying the special requirements made by a stake super-
intendent there may be wanting in the proposed ward super-
intendent same indispensable characteristics, or there may
be some unworthiness known only to the bishop. If the
stake superintendent therefore, and the bishop of the ward
approach each other in a spirit of harmony and mutual help-
fulness there is no reason why they may not be united in
nearly -every instance upon the most suitable man. Should
a case arise in which the bishop and stake superintendent
find themselves unable to agree, or both wish to defer to the
judgment of some higher authority, the proper step to take
is to submit the matter to the president of the stake for his
judgment or decision, as the case may be. When such an
agreement has been arrived at, it is the duty of the bishop to
install the new superintendent in his office.

32

482 GOSPEL DOCTRINE

In connection with the subject here touched upon, a
question has also arisen respecting the propriety of a bishop
presiding over a Sunday School when the superintendent is
present. If I were bishop, I should recognize with scru-
pulous care all the presiding officers in my ward, and should
think it discourteous to them to assume the duties to which
they had been called. There are, without doubt, instances
where the bishop can with propriety offer suggestions that
will be helpful to the superintendent without the least hu-
miliation to him ; and there may be extreme cases in which
the bishop would be justified in assuming the control of a
school, but it should' not be the rule. On the other hand, if 1
were a school superintendent I would show the greatest
deference to the bishop whenever he was present, and aim
as far as possible to satisfy his wishes, and make the school
all he could desire it should be. — Juvenile Instructor, Vol.
39, January, 1904, pp. 16-17.

Purpose and Duties of Relief Society. A word or
two "in relation to the Relief Society. This is an organiza-
tion that was established by the Prophet Joseph Smith. It is,
therefore, the oldest auxiliary organization of the Church,
.and it is of the first importance. It has not only to deal with
the necessities of the poor, the sick and the needy, but a
part of its duty — and the larger part, too — is to look after
the spiritual welfare and salvation of the mothers and daugh-
ters of Zion; to see that none is neglected, but that all are
guarded against misfortune, calamity, the powers of darkness,
and the evils that threaten them in the world. It is the duty
of the Relief Societies to look after the spiritual welfare of
themselves and of all the female members of the Church. It
is their duty to collect means from those who have in abun-
dance, and distribute it wisely unto those in need. If is a
part of their duty to see that there are those capable of being-
nurses as well as teachers and exemplars in Zion, and that
they have an opportunity to become thoroughly prepared for

AUXILIARY ORGANIZATIONS 483

this great labor and responsibility. I have heard of a dis-
position on the part of some of our sisters to become a law
nnto themselves in relation to these things. I would like to
say that it is expected of the Relief Society, especially the
general authorities of that great organization, that they will
have a watchcare over all its organizations among the
women of Zion. They stand at the head of all such; they
ought to stand at the head, and they should magnify their
calling, and see to it that error is not permitted to creep in,
that cabals are not formed, that secret combinations may not
get a foothold, to mislead the sisters. They should see to it
that the other organizations of women in the Church corre-
spond and are in harmony with their organization. Why
should this be? In order that the women of Zion may be
united, that their interests may be in common, and not
conflicting or segregated, and that the purpose of this organ-
ization may be realized and the organization itself be effec-
tive for good in every part of the Church throughout the
world, wherever the gospel is preached. We realize that it
is impossible for men or women possessing physical weak-
nesses on account of age or infirmities, to meet every re-
quirement ; but we expect every man and woman entrusted
with responsibility -in the Church to do their duty to the .
utmost of their ability. That we look for ; that we pray for ;
for that we labor to the best of the ability and strength we
possess.— Apr. C. R., 1906, pp. 3-4.

Objects of the Relief Society. Furthermore, I de-
sire to commend the work of the Relief Society, an organ-
ization that was effected by the Prophet Joseph Smith. The
objects of this organization are manifold. It is not de-
signed to look only after the poor and the needy as to their
bodily necessities, but it is also intended to look after the
spiritual, mental and moral welfare of the mothers and
daughters in Zion, and all who are engaged or interested in
female work. I commend the Relief Societies to the bishops,

484 GOSPEL DOCTRINE

and say, be friendly to these organizations, because they are
auxiliary organizations and a great help to the bishops. —
Oct. C. R., 1902, p. 88.

Duties and Purpose of the Relief Society. I will
speak of the Relief Society as one great organization in the
Church, organized by the Prophet Joseph Smith, whose duty
it is to look after the interests of all the women of Zion and
of all the women that may come under their supervision and
care, irrespective of religion, color or condition. I expect to
see the day when this organization will be one of the most
perfect, most efficient and effective organizations for good in
the Church ; but that day will be when we shall have women
who are not only imbued with the spirit of the gospel of Jesus
Christ, and with the testimony of Christ in their hearts, but
also with youth, vigor and intelligence to enable them to
discharge the great duties and responsibilities that rest upon
them. Today it is too much the case that our young, vigor-
ous, intelligent women feel that only the aged should be
connected with the Relief Society. This is a mistake. We
want the young women, the intelligent women, women of
faith, of courage and of purity to be associated with the
Relief Societies of the various stakes and wards of Zion.
"We want them to take hold of this work with vigor, with
intelligence and unitedly, for the building up of Zion and the
instruction of women in their duties — domestic duties, public
duties, and every duty that may devolve upon them. — Apr.
C. R., 1907, p. 6.

The Relief Society. I can say the same with refer-
ence to the first and most important auxiliary organization
of the Church, that of the Relief Society. They have been
doing the best they could; but now we have suggested a
complete organization of that society, that is, the general
authorities of that organization; and we trust that from
this time forth, they will be able to begin with renewed en-
ergy, judgment and wisdom, the performance of the duties

AUXILIARY ORGANIZATIONS 485

that devolve upon them, even those who are called to take
the oversight of this great work in Zion, the Relief Society
organization. — Apr. C. R., 1911, p. 7.

Object of Sunday Schools and Church Schools.
The object of our Sunday Schools and the object of our
Church schools', the great, the paramount object, is to teach
our children the truth, teach them to be honorable, pure-
minded, virtuous, honest and upright, and enable them, by our
advice and counsel and" by our guardianship over them, until
they reach the years of accountability, to become the honor-
able of the earth, the good and the pure among mankind,
the virtuous and the upright, and those who shall be worthy
to enter the house of God and not be ashamed of themselves
in the presence of angels, if they should come to visit them.
— Apr. C. R., 1903, p. 82.

The Teacher Essential in Sunday School Work.
One of the essentials to a good Sunday School is to have
good, pure-minded, intelligent, noble, true and faithful teach-
ers. If you will have a child develop to what he should be,
he that teaches the child should be developed to what he
ought to be ; and until he is developed in intelligence, in
faith, in works of righteousness, in purity of heart and mind
and spirit, he is not in a very good position to elevate others
to it— Oct. C. R. f 1903, p. 99.

The First Qualification of a Sunday School
Teacher. The first qualification for a teacher in our Sun-
day Schools is that he be heart and soul a Latter-day Saint.
He must believe in and unreservedly accept the doctrines of
the Church, otherwise his teachings will be subversive of the
very purpose for which these schools are maintained.

It is a self-evident truth, that no one can give what he
does not possess ; and the teacher who is lacking a testimony
of the gospel can never inspire such testimony in his pu-
pils.

The measure of personal liberty allowed by our liberal

486 GOSPEL DOCTRINE

Church organization in the matter of giving instruction is
great ; but such liberty must not be degraded into a license
to teach as the doctrines of the Church what is but the per-
sonal belief of the individual. A teacher finding himself a
non-believer in any of the principles or tenets of the Church,
will, if he be truly honorable, voluntarily ask release from
his position. No one can in righteousness be asked to teach
what he does not believe and accept as the truth; nor will
one who is sincere in his convictions attempt to do so; still
less will any teacher who loves the truth dishonor his posi-
tion by employing its opportunities to inculcate personal
views not in harmony with the teachings of the Church. —
Juvenile Instructor, Vol. 39, April 1, 1914, p. 210.

The Principle of Sabbath School Teaching. There
is one point that has rested upon. my mind in relation to the
Sabbath Schools, and it is this : I think there is nothing in
the Sunday School work more necessary or essential than
that all the teachers of the Sunday Schools should win the
love and the confidence of their pupils. I believe that
greater good can be done in the Sunday Schools by the
teachers where they have the absolute affection and con-
fidence of their pupils than under any other conditions. You
may teach them, you may drill them in concert, and you may
have them commit to memory, and labor in every other way
that you possibly can to accomplish the good that you desire
with your children, but in nothing, in my opinion, can you
succeed so well as when you possess their undivided love
and confidence. If a child thinks a teacher is harsh with
him or her, or unkind toward him, or does not feel a real,
genuine love for him, if he feels that the teacher is not taking
a real interest in him as one who loves him, he can never be
led to possess the right spirit ; but when he feels that the
teacher loves him, is trying to do him good and to teach him
that which will be for his everlasting welfare, then you have
an influence over that child, that when he studies he will

AUXILIARY ORGANIZATIONS 487

study with a purpose and with an earnest desire to be
benefited and to please the teacher; because he knows and
feels in his little heart that the teacher loves him and is seek-
ing to do him good. I have entertained this sentiment from
the beginning, in relation to the instruction of the little
children. It is a principle that obtains at the home as well
as in the Sunday School. If you can only convince your
children that you love them, that your soul goes out to them
for their good, that you are their truest friend, they, in turn,
will place confidence in you and will love you and seek to do
your bidding and to carry out your wishes with your love.
But if you are selfish, unkindly to them, and if they are not
confident that they have your entire affection, they will be
selfish, and will not care whether they please you or carry out
your wishes or not, and the result will be that they will
grow wayward, thoughtless and careless, and although you
may drill them, like a parrot, to repeat verses and to speak in
concert, and all that sort of thing, they will do it mechani-
cally, without affection, and without its having that effect
upon their souls that you desire it should have. — Apr. C. R.,
1902, pp. 97-98.

The Stake Sunday School Board. As the General
Sunday School Union Board represents the First Presidency
of the Church and constitutes under the direction of the
Presidency and Council of the Twelve, the highest author-
ity in the Church on Sunday School matters, so the Stake
Board, under the direction of the Stake Presidency and
General Sunday School Board, represents the highest author-
ity in Sunday School work in the stake. If it were not so,
there would be no unity. — Iitvenile Instructor, Vol. 43, Aug-
ust, 1908, p. 310.

The Importance of M. I. A. Work. I want to say
a few words to the Mutual Improvement Associations. You
young men and young women, officers of the Mutual Im-
provement Associations, I implore you to go from this con-

488 GOSPEL DOCTRINE

ference and do your duty. Look after the wayward, the
disobedient, the thoughtless, and the indifferent. It is nec-
essary that they should be guarded and looked after. As
it has been expressed here time and again, it is better for us
to save our own boys who are being misled at home, than
it is for us to go out into the world and spend years of
time and endless means in order to gather in a few people
from the world, while some of our own boys and girls need
redemption as much as they, besides these people of the
world are so full of the traditions and superstitions of their
fathers when they gather to Zion that it is difficult, if not
impossible, for them to entirely overcome these traditions and
get down to a full comprehension of the gospel and a com-
plete reception of the truth. Yet a soul saved out in the
world is as precious in the sight of God as a soul saved at
home. But we have work to do right at home, at our own
doors; and it will not do for us to neglect the work neces-
sary to be done at our own thresholds, and then go out into
the world to do work that is no more necessary. Let us do
our duty everywhere. — Oct, C. R., 1902, p. 87.

The Field of the Young Men's Mutual Improve-
ment Associations. The systematic work now being done
by the quorums of priesthood provides our young men with
the necessary teachings in formal theology and trains them
in the duties that pertain to their callings in the priesthood.

There is, however, a strong need among the young men
of the Church to have an organization and meetings which
they themselves conduct; in which they may learn to pre-
side over public assemblies ; to obtain a practice necessary
to express themselves before the public ; and to enjoy them-
selves in studying and practicing civil, social, scientific, re-
ligious and educational affairs.

The Young Men's Mutual Improvement Associations
therefore should be strengthened and their efficiency in-
creased in order to offset and counteract the tendency now so

AUXILIARY ORGANIZATIONS 489

prevalent to establish private clubs, secret and social organ-
izations, and select educational societies.

They may be made to cover all these requirements, and it
will be a wise policy to grant them the fullest liberty, con-
sistent with the order and policy of the Church, in the selec-
tion of their officers, management and conduct of their as-
sociations.

It is of vital importance that not only the young men of
our Church, but also the regularly constituted stake and ward
officers thereof shall have a clear understanding as to the
place and privileges which the Mutual Improvement Asso-
ciations hold among the Latter-day Saints, in order to pro-
mote harmony, union of purpose, and the best interests of
all concerned.

To define this field and to give an understanding to our
young people and all concerned, we deem it expedient that a
declaration should be made at this our June conference, that
there is as great opportunity now as ever before for these
organizations, and that increased activity in other depart-
ments should cause no abatement of effort or efficiency in our
associations ; but rather that renewed effort should be put
forth by the Improvement workers, and that every facility
should be afforded them by stake and ward authorities to
accomplish their glorious mission among the youth of Zion.

The field to be occupied is religious, social and educa-
tional. The religious work is not to be formally theological
in its nature, but rather to be confined to the limits outlined
by President Brigham Young, when the organizations were
first established: "Let the keynote of your work be the es-
tablishment in the youth of an individual testimony of the
truth and magnitude of the great Latter-day work ; and the
development of the gifts within them." In other words, to
obtain a testimony of the truth and to learn to declare and
express that testimony ; and to develop all noble gifts within
them.

490 GOSPEL DOCTRINE

The social includes control of various public and private
amusements ; musical, dramatic and other entertainments and
festivals; field sports, athletic tournaments, excursions and
other varieties of social gatherings.

The educational should include regular class work in
ethics and practical religion, literature, science, history, bi-
ography, art, music, civil government — supplemented by de-
bates, oratorical and musical contests, lectures, essays, writing
for publication, reading and speaking under the auspices o.f
the organization, and if necessary carried on in departments
under instructors capable of specializing in their particular
lines.

We have directed the General Board to appoint commit-
tees to have in charge, under the direction of the whole
Board, these various lines, who have a thorough knowledge
of the work, and who are in sympathy with our young men.

These committees may be sub-divided or added to as the
wisdom of the Board or the exigencies of the work may de-
mand ; and like organizations may be instituted in the various
stakes and wards, as far as practicable or necessary. At the
meetings of the Board reports from these committees will be
asked for and given as a regular order of business.

We believe that this course will promote the welfare of
all and a good feeling among our young people, and prevent
their seeking other organizations and interests to which to
devote their time and attention.

There is no mental, social or physical excellence or en-
joyment that the Church does not foster and desire to pro-
mote among the young men of our community, and its pur-
pose in sustaining the Mutual Improvement Associations and
charging them with the care of our young men is to answer
every desire of this nature and to provide among ourselves
the gratification of every legitimate ambition and impulse to
excel in these fields without having to seek opportunities
elsewhere.

AUXILIARY ORGANIZATIONS 491

From the presiding priesthood of the Church in the
stakes of Zion, and in the wards and missions, we therefore
ask, in behalf of our young men, sympathy and support, to
sustain and uphold the Young Men's Mutual Improvement
Associations in the field of usefulness herein briefly outlined,
and to provide them with places of meeting and- amusement.

We ask that the associations be permitted to select men
of education and ability for class and special teachers, who
are suitable, agreeable and capable, and who are in love with
the young people and in full sympathy with them and their
views.

Granting them the fullest liberty consistent with the or-
der and policy of the Church will encourage them in the
faith, and they will be not a whit less amenable to the Church
authorities, but rather will grow more enthusiastic in every
way for the promotion of the work of the Lord. The Young
Men's Mutual Improvement Associations have been from the
first in very deed helps to the priesthood, and in behalf of its
members we pledge ourselves and them to continue in this
line in the future; being certain that no trust or added re-
sponsibility imposed upon our young people will be violated,
but they will prove loyal to the authorities and the work of
the Lord.

Respectfully,

Joseph F. Smith,
Heber J. Grant,
B. H. Roberts,

General Super intendency.

The foregoing Declaration of the Place and Privileges
of the Young Men's Mutual Improvement Association was
read and adopted at the Annual Conference, June 5, 1909. —
Improvement Era, Vol. 12, August, 1909, p. 819.

Purpose of Mutual Improvement Associations. Our
work is in one sense primary work, and yet it reaches beyond

492 GOSPEL DOCTRINE

primary grades. The first and great object of the organization
of the Mutual Improvement Associations as auxiliary organi-
zations of the priesthood in the Church was to become in-
strumental in bringing the youth of Zion to a knowledge of
the truth, and in guiding them into the straight and narrow
path. We have found that there is in some degree a feeling
of shyness and of fear that seizes the minds of some of our
youth when the organizations of the Priesthood are men-
tioned. Some of the children grow up more or less indiffer-
ent, more or less afraid of the responsibilities involved in
the performances of the Church duties. They are like colts
that need training, and it is difficult sometimes to reach them.
But through these auxiliary organizations we have been able
to reach out a guiding hand, and to exert an influence for
good over many of our young men and women, whom it
would have been difficult to reach by the organizations of the
priesthood. In so far these organizations have accomplished
a most excellent primary work ; for this is in the sense of a
primary work, and I do not know but the necessity of our
organizations will continue as long as we have children grow-
ing up amongst us who are shy of the priesthood, and who
are afraid of assuming the duties and responsibilities that
belong to the Church.

Then we have instituted class work, have written man-
uals, and have given out subjects for study and improvement
by all those who are connected with these organizations
which have been intended to lead them along into greater
experiences and better understanding of the principles of the
gospel of Jesus Christ. For, after all, this is the great and
grand object of these organizations.

The fact is, my brethren and sisters and friends, that the
gospel of Christ is the biggest thing in the world. Very few
of us, probably, comprehend its greatness. The way we are
situated in life, engaged day in and day out, week in and
week out, year in and year out, in the daily vocations of life ;

AUXILIARY ORGANIZATIONS 493

struggling to earn bread for our necessities, and the necessi-
ties of those who are dependent upon us, struggling to build
homes for ourselves and our children; struggling to collect
the elements of the earth and subdue them, and to bring
them into subjection to our will; working, toiling, striving
day by day in temporal things, in the cares and thoughts of
the world, we are inclined to give very little thought, very
little reflection to the more important things, those things
which shall endure after mortality shall come to an end. And
the most of mankind have come to the conclusion, judging
them by their acts, and their walk and conversation in life
that the greatest thing in the world is to obtain wealth. And
then, having obtained wealth and the hings that wealth pro-
duce, or will bring to them, they feel that the rest of life and
the responsibilities of it are very trifling and unimportant,
and they leave their religion to their priests, if they have any
religion at all. And the great majority of the world today, I
believe, that is, on our hemisphere, are becoming very indif-
ferent toward religion of any kind. The cheaper it can be
found or obtained by them, the better they like it; the less
exertion required of them to be members of a church organ-
ization the better it suits them. The less care they are required
to give to religion the better they like it ; and if they can find
something that will bring solace and ease and relaxation to
an overburdened conscience for having committed crime in
the thought that men possess power to forgive sin, that suits
them about as well as anything else, and a little better. Hence
we can see where the world is drifting today as far as re-
ligion is concerned. If they can get it cheap, if it does not'
cause them any exertion, they do not mind having just a lit-
tle of it. But this is not the case with Lutter-day Saints.
Nor is it the case with a living religion. For I want to tell
you that the religion of Christ is not a Sunday religion ; it
is not a momentary religion ; it is a religion that never ends ;
and it requires duties of its devotees on Monday, Tuesday,

494 GOSPEL DOCTRINE

Wednesday and all the days of the week just as sincerely,
just as strongly, as it does on the Sabbath day. And I would
not give the ashes of a rye straw for a Sunday religion, or
for a religion that is manufactured by men, whether by
priests or laymen. My religion is the religion of God. It is
the religion of Jesus Christ, otherwise it would be absolutely '
worthless to me, and it would be worthless to all other men,
so far as religion is concerned. If it is not in my soul, if I
had not received it in my heart, or if I did not believe it with
all my might, mind and strength, and be it, live it, and keep
it secure in my heart all the days of my life — -week days as
well as days of rest, in secret as well as in public, at home and
abroad, everywhere the same ; then the religion of Christ, the
religion of well doing, the religion of righteousness, the re-
ligion of purity, the religion of kindliness, faith, salvation
from temporal sins, and salvation and exaltation in the King-
dom of our God — my religion would not be the gospel of the
Son of God to me. This is "Mormonism ;" and that is the
kind of religion we want to teach to our children. We must
receive it ourselves and teach it from our hearts to their
hearts and from our affections to their affections, and we
can then inspire them because of our own faith and our own
faithfulness and convictions of the Church.

These organizations of young men and women are in-
tended to help the wayward, giddy and wild ; to work with
those who are at large in the world, who are not subject to
any organization at all ; to gather them in ; hunt them up, and
get hold of them by love, by kindness, by the spirit of salva-
tion, the spirit to bring them to a knowledge of the truth,
that they may find the way of life and walk in it ; that they
may have light everlasting within themselves through the
Spirit of God.

All truth cometh from the Lord. He is the fountain of
truth; or in other words, he is the everlasting spring of life
and truth, and from him cometh all knowledge, all wisdom,

AUXILIARY ORGANIZATIONS 495

all virtue and all power. When I read books that are scat-
tered broadcast through the world, throwing discredit upon
words and teachings and doctrines of the Lord Jesus Christ,
saying that some of the ideas Jesus uttered, truths that he
promulgated, have been enunciated before by the ancient
philosophers among the heathen nations of the world, I want
to tell you that there is not a heathen philosopher that ever
lived in all the world from the beginning, that had a truth
or enunciated a principle of God's truth that did not receive
it from the fountain head, from God himself. God knew the
truth before any heathen philosopher. No man has received
intelligence but has had to come to the Fountain Head. He
may not have known it, may not have realized the source of
his knowledge, but it came from God. God taught the first
truth that was ever taught to man. The Lord has bestowed
his truth upon the earth from generation to generation and
he has visited the people in various ways, from age to age,
according to the nearness with which he could draw them to
himself. He has raised up philosophers among them, teach-
ers of men, to set the example, and to develop the mind and
understanding of the human race in all nations of the world.
God did it, but the world do not give credit to God, but give
it to men, to heathen philosophers. They give credit to them.
I give it to God. And I tell you God knew the truth before
they did, and through revelation they got it. If they received
light at all they had it from God, just as Columbus got it
from the Lord. What inspired Columbus with the spirit of
unrest, the spirit of longing, with an intense desire that he
could not overcome to seek out this western hemisphere ?
Brethren and sisters, I acknowledge God's hand in it. It was
inspiration that seized Columbus and he was moved by it. But
men do not acknowledge God's hand in it. In the Book of
Mormon, we learn it was God's Spirit working upon him.
The Lord moved upon Columbus and he could not restrain
the influence that was upon him until he had accomplished

496 GOSPEL DOCTRINE

the work. The same may be said of any intelligent man that
has enlightened humanity, from the earliest ages down to the
present time.

Let me say to you, my fellow workers in the cause of
Zion, do not forget to acknowledge the hand of God in all
things. He told the Jews that he had other sheep that were
not of that fold, and that he must visit them. He did visit
them. He came to the sheep of the fold occupying this con-
tinent, dwelling here unknown to the Jews, and he revealed
the principles of the gospel to them. And when he visited
them, he said, "Ye are they of whom I said, Other sheep I
have which are not of this fold ; them also I must bring, and
they shall hear my voice ; and there shall be one fold, and
one shepherd." (Ill Nephi 15:21.)

Read in the Doctrine and Covenants of a parable in
which the kingdom of God is likened unto a man with twelve
servants working in his field, each having his portion, calling
and allotment. The Lord visited the first and taught him the
truth and cheered him up by his presence and voice and
counsel; then he visited the second, then the third and so
on until the twelfth, each in his time, each in his season,
each according to his necessities. (Doc. and Cov. 88: 51-63.)

And so it has been with God from the foundation of the
world. He has visited all nations, kindred, tongues, and
people, and yet the truth has not been revealed to the wprld
in its fulness, and men have not been called to do the work
that Christ was called to do; nor the work that Abraham
was called to do ; nor that which Noah was appointed to do ;
nor that appointed to the twelve apostles to preach his name
and proclaim his gospel to the world. They were called like
Columbus to do work God required them to do. Later God
revealed the power of steam to Watt, just as he has inspired
every other philosopher and scientist and great man of the ,
world. I acknowledge the hand of God in it. I give God
the honor, the glory; and I know that it is in accordance

AUXILIARY ORGANIZATIONS 497

with his purpose that he has inspired these things to be
brought to pass. I believe that Mohammed was an inspired
man and the Lord raised him up to do the work he did.

I believe God raised up Joseph Smith to lay the founda-
tions of the gospel of Christ in the dispensation of the ful-
ness of times ; that it will remain and no more be broken
up ; but will continue until God's promises are accomplished
in the world and Christ shall come and reign, whose right
it is to reign in the midst of the earth. This is what I believe
about it, and' the Lord's hand was in the raising up of Jo-
seph Smith to accomplish the work.

Joseph Smith was called to do this work; and he did it.
He has been an instrument in the hands of God by giving
each of us the power to obtain knowledge for ourselves
through the mercy and love of God, and to become teachers
of it to the world; teachers not only to our children, but to
nations that are in darkness and know not the truth. And it
is a living, daily religion, an hourly religion. It requires us
to do right today, this hour, this week, this month and this
year ; and so on from year to year, to live our religion — which
is the religion of Jesus Christ — of righteousness, of truth, of
mercy, of love, forgiveness, kindness, union, and peace on
earth and good will to man and all the world. This is our
mission.

May the Lord bless you my brethren and sisters, and
my fellow workers in the cause of Zion, is my prayer. — -
Young Woman's Journal, Vol. 18, 1907, pp. 312-315.

The Fountain of Truth. We hear frequently of men
who throw discredit on the doctrine of Jesus Christ, our
Savior and Redeemer, because some of the principles, doc-
trines, and philosophy which he taught are said to have been
spoken before his day by heathen philosophers.

A variety of examples are sometimes quoted to show
that Zoroaster and other ancient philosophers made known
truths, and that the Old Testament, the Avesta, and other

33

498 GOSPEL DOCTRINE

writings, contain sentiments, which were repeated, perhaps
in slightly different form, by the Son of God. He taught
nothing new, they say, and so they incline to belittle his mis-
sion, and accuse him of plagiarizing the truth.

It is conceded by a number of competent students that
the ideals which have grown from the doctrines of Christ
are a direct development of what is found in the teachings of
the Old Testament, particularly in the Psalms and in the
second part of Isaiah. But, on the other hand, it is just as
certain that these ideals receive a finish and an enrichment,
by the touch of the Savior, vastly beyond vind above what
they possessed before, and also they are placed on deeper and
firmer foundations. This, let it be said to begin with, is be-
cause they were his before they were ever uttered by man.

Even in the five distinctive and characteristic topics gen-
erally considered by commentators original in the teachings
of Jesus, we find little if anything new, except the enlarge-
ment. These are named as, the Fatherhood of God; sub-
jects or members of the Kingdom; the Messiah ; the Holy
Ghost ; and the Tri-Unity of God.

But the idea of the Fatherhood of God was .not un-
known either to the Pagans or to Israel. Zeus from the
time of Homer had borne the name "Father of gods and
men." But, both in Jewish and Pagan literature, the idea
was superficial and meant little more than "originator"
(Gen. 1 :26) ; and in the old Jewish scripture God is more
particularly called the Father of his people, Israel (Deut.
14 :1 ; Isaiah 63 :6). But in the teachings of Christ there is a
fuller embodiment of revelation in the word Father, and the
application which he makes of the Fatherhood of God in-
vests his life with supreme tenderness and beauty. As an
example: In the old scriptures, we are told, "Like as a
father pitieth his children, so the Lord pitieth them that fear
him;" (Psalm 103:13,) but by the interpretation of Jesus,
the love of God as Father extends beyond these limitations

AUXILIARY ORGANIZATIONS 499

even to those who are unthankful and evil: "But I say unto
you, love your enemies, bless them that curse you, do good
to them that hate you, and pray for them which dispitefully
use you, and persecute you ; that ye may be the children of
our Father which is in heaven : for he maketh his sun to rise
on the evil and on the good, and sendeth rain on the just and
the unjust" (Matt. 5:45). "But love ye your enemies, nd
do good, and lend, hoping for nothing again; and your re-
ward shall be great, and ye shall be the children of the
Highest ; for he is kind unto the unthankful and to the evil."
(Luke 6:35.) .

And so with other doctrines of Christ; while perhaps
not new, they were enriched by the addition of fuller, broad-
er, more loving conceptions of God and his purposes; in
which compulsion was eliminated, and lowly service, love,
and self-acrifice were substituted and made the true forces
of an acceptable life. Even the answer to the lawyer's ques-
tion, often called the eleventh commandment, "Master,
which is the great commandment in the law?" had been
given tQ the children of Israel, (Lev. 19:18) over two thou-
sand years before its perfected meaning was impressed upon
the learned Pharisee. (Matt. 22:34, 40.)

But what of all this ? Are we therefore to discredit the
teachings of the Savior? Verily no. Let it be remembered
that Christ was with the Father from the beginning, that the
gospel of truth and light existed from the beginning, and is
from everlasting to everlasting. The Father, Son and Holy
Ghost, as one God, are the fountain of truth. From this
fountain all the ancient learned philosophers have received
their inspiration and wisdom — from it they have received all
their knowledge. If we find truth in broken fragments
through the ages, it may be set down as an incontrovertible
fact that it originated at the fountain, and was given to
philosophers, inventors, patriots, reformers, and prophets by
the inspiration of God. It came from him through his Son

500 GOSPEL DOCTRINE

Jesus Christ and the Holy Ghost, in the first place, and from
no other source. It is eternal.

Christ, therefore, being the fountain of truth, is no
imitator. He taught the truth first ; it was his before it was
given to man. When he came to the earth he not only pro-
claimed new thought, but repeated some of the everlasting
principles which had been heretofore only partly understood
and enunciated by the wisest of men. And in so doing he
enlarged in every instance upon the wisdom which they had
originally received from him, because of his superior abilities
and wisdom, and his association with the Father and the
Holy Ghost. He did not imitate men. They made known
in their imperfect way what the inspiration of Jesus Christ
had taught them, for they obtained their enlightenment
first from him. He taught the gospel to Adam, and made
known his truths to Abraham and the prophets. He was the
inspirer of the ancient philosophers, Pagan or Israelite, as
well as of the great characters of more modern times.
Columbus, in discovery; Washington, in the struggle for
freedom; Lincoln, in emancipation and union; Bacon, in
philosophy; Franklin, in statesmanship and diplomacy;
Stephenson, in steam ; Watts, in song ; Edison, in electricity ;
and Joseph Smith, in theology and religion, found the
source of their wisdom and the marvelous truths which they
advocated, in Jesus Christ.

Calvin, Luther, Melanchthon, and all the reformers,
were inspired in thoughts, words, and actions to accomplish
what they did for the amelioration, liberty and advancement
of the human race. They paved the way for the more per-
fect gospel of truth to come. Their inspiration, as with that
of the ancients, came from the Father, his Son Jesus Christ,
and the Holy Ghost, the one true and living God. This may
also truthfully be said concerning the Revolutionary fathers
of this nation, and all who have in the ages past contributed
to the progress of civil and religious freedom. There is no

AUXILIARY ORGANIZATIONS 501

light or truth which did not come to them first from him.
Men are mere repeaters of what he has taught them. He
has voiced no thought originating with man. The teachings
of Jesus did not begin with his incarnation ; for, like truth,
he is eternal. He not only inspired the ancients, from the
beginning, but when he came to earth he reiterated eternal,
original truth, and added gloriously to the revelations men
had uttered. When he returned to the Father, he still took,
and does take, an interest in his children and people, by re-
vealing to them new truths, and by inspiring their actions;
and, as men grow in the knowledge of God, they shall be-
come more and more like him unto the perfect day, when his
knowledge shall cover the earth as the waters cover the
deep.

It is folly, therefore, to discredit the Savior on the
grounds that he has uttered nothing new; for, with the
Father and the Spirit, he is the author of that which persists
—the truth — that which has been, that which is, and that
which will continue forever. — Improvement Era, Vol. 10,
1907, pp. 627-30.

Purpose and Duties of Religion Classes. The Re-
ligion Class work is an adjunct to the Church schools. It is a
necessary and most interesting adjunct to our auxiliary or-
ganizations. It was established to assist in the proper train-
ing and education of our children, and I commend it to the
presiding authorities, throughout the Church, and bespeak
for it their kind attention, encouragement and assistance, so
far as it lies in their power. Let us take care of these things,
for they nurture and strengthen our children in the right
direction, and there is nothing more important. It is extreme
folly for any people to send thousands of missionaries out
into the world to preach the gospel to the nations, and
neglect their own children at home. I think our very first
interest should be to look after our children, and see that they
have every advantage necessary to bring them up in the way

502 GOSPEL DOCTRINE

they should go, that when they get old they may not depart
from it.— Apr. C. R., 1906, p. 6.

Teachers Must Believe in Jesus Christ. Any man
who will question the divinity of the mission of the Lord
Jesus Christ, or will deny the so-called miracles of the scrip-
tures, is unfit to be a teacher of Latter-day Saint children.
— Improvement Era, Vol. 21, December, 1917, p. 104.

CHAPTER XXIII.

Political Government.

The Ten Commandments. I believe with all my soul
in the gospel of Jesus Christ, and in the law of God, and I do
not think any honest and intelligent man or woman could
help but believe in the justice, the righteousness and the
purity of the laws that God wrote upon the tablets of stone.
These principles that I propose to read to you are the founda-
tion and basic principles of the Constitution of our country,
and are eternal, enduring forevermore, and cannot be
changed nor ignored with impunity :

"And God spake all these words, saying, I am the Lord
thy God, which have brought thee out of the land of Egypt,
out of the house of bondage. Thou shalt have no other gods
before me."

That is what it means now, and what it meant to the
Latter-day Saints, and what the Latter-day Saints under-
stood it to mean, when they embraced the gospel of Jesus
Christ.

"Thou shalt have no other gods before me." He is the
Father of our spirits, the Father of our Lord and Savior
Jesus Christ, who is our God; and we shall not have any
other before him.

"Thou shalt not make unto thee any graven image, or
any likeness of anything that is in heaven above, or that is in
the earth beneath, or that is in the water under the earth :

"Thou shalt not bow down thyself to them, nor serve
them : for I the Lord thy God am a jealous God, visiting the
iniquity of the fathers upon the children unto the third and
fourth generation of them that hate me ; and showing mercy
unto thousands of them that love me, and keep my command-
ments." (Exodus 20: 1-7.)

504 GOSPEL DOCTRINE

Infidels will say to you : "How unjust, how unmerciful,
how un-Godlike it is to visit the iniquities of the parents upon
the children to the third and fourth generations of them that
hate God." How do you see it? This way: and it is strictly
in accordance with God's law. The infidel will impart infi-
delity to his children if he can. The whoremonger will not
raise a pure, righteous posterity. He will impart seeds of
disease and misery, if not of death and destruction, upon his
offspring, which will continue upon his children and descend
to his children's children to the third and fourth generation.
It is perfectly natural that the children should inherit from
their fathers, and if they sow the seeds of corruption, crime
and loathsome disease, their children will reap the fruits
thereof. Not in accordance with God's, wishes, for his wish
is that men will not sin and therefore will not transmit the
consequences of their sin to their children, but that they
will keep his commandments, and be free from sin and from
entailing the effects of sin upon their offspring ; but inasmuch
as men will not hearken unto the Lord, but will become a
law unto themselves, and will commit sin they will justly
reap the consequences of their own iniquity, and will nat-
urally impart its fruits to their children to the third and
fourth generation. The laws of nature are the laws of God,
who is just; it is not God that inflicts these penalties, they
are the effects of disobedience, to his law. The results of
men's own acts follow them.

"Thou shalt not take the name of the Lord thy Go J in
vain; for the Lord will not hold him guiltless that taketh his
name in vain."

This is an eternal principle; it is not one that we may
obey today and disobey tomorrow, or that we may espouse
today as a part of our faith, and abandon tomorrow with
impunity. It is a principle that is inherent in the plan of life
and salvation, for the regeneration of mankind.

"Remember the Sabbath day, to keep it holy. Six

POLITICAL GOVERNMENTS .505

days shalt thou labor, and do all thy work: but the seventh
day is the Sabbath of the Lord thy God : in it thou shalt not
do tny work, thou, nor thy son, nor thy daughter, thy man-
servant, nor thy maid-servant, nor thy cattle, nor thy strang-
er that is within thy gates," etc.

That is : Thou shalt honor the Sabbath day and keep it
holy. Do we do it? Is it necessary to do it? It is abso-
lutely necessary to do so in order that we may be In har-
mony with God's law and commandments ; and whenever
we transgress that law or that commandment we are guilty
of transgressing the law of God. And what will be the re-
sult, if we continue? Our children will follow in our foot-
steps ; they will dishonor the command of God to keep one
day holy in seven ; and will lose the spirit of obedience to the
laws of God and his requirements, just as the father will lose
it if he continues to violate the commandments.

"Honor thy father and thy mother : that thy days may
be long upon the land which the Lord thy God giveth thee."

When will we ever outgrow that command ? When can
we set it aside ? When shall we reach the time that we can
dishonor our father and mother? Never! It is an eternal
principle, and I am sorry to say — not sorry for the Japs and
for the Chinese — these heathen nations, as we have been in the
habit of calling them — I am not sorry for them, but for the
comparison with them. Those heathen nations set the civilized
Christian world an example in the honor they bestow upon
their parents, and yet this Christian people and nation and
all the Christian nations of the earth, who have the word of
the Lord, and the counsels of the Son of God for their guid-
ance, are not leading out in setting an example of obedience,
as they should, to this great commandment of the Lord.
"Honor thy father and thy mother: that thy days may be
long in the land which the Lord thy God giveth thee."

Again, "Thou shalt not kill." That is a command of
God. It is irrevocable, unless he revokes it ; you and I can't

506 GOSPEL DOCTRINE

revoke it ; we must not transgress it ; it is binding upon us.
We should not take away the life we cannot restore or give
back. It is an eternal, unchangeable law.

"Thou shalt not commit adultery." Just as unchange-
able! just as eternal! for the adulterer hath no place in the
kingdom of God, nor can he attain to an exaltation there.

"Thou shalt not steal."

"Thou shalt not bear false witness against thy neigh-
bor."

"Thou shalt not covet thy neighbor's house, thou shalt
not covet thy neighbor's wife, nor his manservant, nor his
maidservant, nor his ox, nor his ass, nor anything that is thy
neighbor's." (Exodus 20: 8-17.)

"Thou shalt not covet." We may say we are thankful
that the Lord has blessed our neighbor above that which he
has blessed us. We may be thankful that the Lord has
given to our neighbor greater wisdom and ability to honestly
gather to himself. But we should not covet it. We should
not be envious, because we are commanded not to be.

Now, these are the commandments of God, the prin-
ciples, contained in these commandments of the great Eternal
are the principles that underly the constitution of our coun-
try, and all just laws. Joseph Smith, the prophet, was in-
spired to affirm and ratify this truth, and he further pre-
dicted that the time would come, when the constitution of
our country would hang as it were by a thread, and that
the Latter-day Saints, above all other people in the world,
would come to the rescue of that great and glorious pala-
dium of our liberty. We cannot brook the thought of ir being
torn into shreds, or destroyed, or trampled under foot and
ignored by men. We cannot tolerate the sentiment, at
one time expressed, by a man high in authority in the nation.
He said : "The constitution be damned ; the popular sentiment
of the people is the constitution !" That is the sentiment of
anarchism, and has spread to a certain extent, and is spread-

POLITICAL GOVERNMENTS 507

ing over "the land of liberty and home of the brave/' We
do not tolerate it. Latter-day Saints cannot tolerate such a
spirit as this. It is anarchy. It means destruction. It is
the spirit of mobocracy, and the Lord knows we have suf-
fered enough from mobocracy, and we do not want any more
of it. Our people from Mexico are suffering from the ef-
fects of that same spirit. We do not want any more of it,
and we cannot afford to yield to that spirit or contribute to
it in the least degree. We should stand with a front like
flint against every spirit or species of contempt or disrespect
for the constitution of our country and the constitutional
laws of our land.— Apr. C. R., 1912, pp. 8-11.

The Laws of God and the Laws of the Land. Near-
ly all the brethren who have spoken at this conference have
referred to the circumstances in which we, as a people, are
now placed ; and it would seem unnecessary for me to make
any further reference to this all-prevailing subject with
which 'the people generally are more or less familiar, and in
which we necessarily are considerably interested. But while
the brethren who have spoken have merely referred to
some of the sayings of the Prophet Joseph, and to items in
the revelations through him, to the Church, I feel impressed
to read in the hearing of the congregation one or two pas-
sages from the revelations previously referred to. I will,
therefore, call the attention of the congregation to a verse or
two in the revelation given in 1831, which will be found
on page 219 of the Doctrine and Covenants :

"Let no man break the laws of the land, for he that
keepeth the laws of God hath no need to break the laws of
the land :

"Wherefore, be subject to the powers that be, until he
reigns whose right it is to reign, and subdues all enemies
under his feet.

"Behold, the laws which ye have received from my
hand are the laws of the Church, and in this light we shall

508 GOSPEL DOCTRINE

hold them forth. Behold here is wisdom." (Doc. and Cov.
58:21-23.) *

The following I quote from a revelation given in De-
cember, 1833, page 357:

"According to the laws and the constitution of the
people which I have suffered to be established, and should
be maintained for the rights and protection of all flesh, ac-
cording to just and holy principles,

"That every man may act in doctrine and principle per-
taining to futurity, according to the moral agency which I
have given unto them, that every man may be accountable
for his own sins in the day of judgment.

"Therefore, it is not right that any man should be in
bondage one to another;

"And for this purpose have I established the constitution
of this land, by the hands of wise men whom I raised up
unto this very purpose, and redeemed the land by the shed-
ding of blood." (Doc. and Cov. 101 :77-80.)

Again, in a revelation on page 342 :

"And now, verily I say unto you concerning the laws of
the land, it is my will that my people shall observe to do all
things whatsoever I command them ;

"And that law of the land which is constitutional,
supporting that principle of freedom in maintaining rights
and privileges, belongs to all mankind, and is justifiable be-
fore me;

"Therefore, I, the Lord, justify you, and your brethren
of my Church, in befriending that law which is the con-
stitutional law of the land;

"And as pertaining to law of man, whatsoever is more
or less than these cometh of evil.

"I, the Lord God, make, you free, therefore ye are free
indeed ; and the law also maketh you free ;

"Nevertheless, \vhen the wicked rule, the people mourn ;

'"Wherefore, honest men, and wise men should be

POLITICAL GOVERNMENTS 509

sought for diligently, and good men and wise men ye should
observe to uphold; otherwise whatsoever is less than these
cometh of evil.

"And I give unto you a commandment, that ye shall
forsake all evil and cleave unto all good, that ye shall live
by every word which proceedeth forth out of the mouth
of God;

"For he will give unto the faithful line upon line, pre-
cept upon precept; and I will try you and prove you here-
with ;

"And whoso layeth down his life in my cause, for .my
name's sake, shall find it again, even life eternal;

"Therefore be not afraid of -your enemies, for I have
decreed in my heart, saith the Lord, that I will prove you in
all things, whether you will abide in my covenant, even unto
death, that you may be found worthy ;

"For if ye will not abide in my covenant, ye are not
worthy of me." (Doc. and Cov. 98 : 4-15.)

This, as I understand it, is the law of God to the
Church of Jesus Christ of Latter-day Saints in all the
world. And the requirements here made of us must be
obeyed, and practically carried out in our lives, in order that
we may secure the fulfilment of the promises which God has
made to the people of Zion. And it is further written, that
inasmuch as ye will do the things which I command you, thus
saith the Lord, then am I bound; otherwise there is no
promise. We can therefore only expect that the promises
are made and will apply to us when we do the things which
we are commanded. (Doc. and Cov. 82: 10; 101: 7; 124:
47-49.)

We are told here that no man need break the laws of
the land who will keep the laws of God. But this is further
defined by the passage which I read afterwards — the law
of the land, which all have no need to break, is that law which
is the constitutional law of the land, and that is as God him-

510 GOSPEL DOCTRINE

self has defined it. And whatsoever is more or less than
this cometh of evil. Now, it seems to me that this makes this
matter so clear that it is not possible for any man who pro-
fesses to be a member of the Church of Jesus Christ of
Latter-day Saints to make any mistake, or to be in doubt as
to the course he should pursue under the command of God
in relation to the observance of the laws of the land. I main-
tain that the Church of Jesus Christ of Latter-day Saints
has ever been faithful to the constitutional laws of our
country. I maintain, also, that I have a right to this opin-
ion, as an American citizen, as one who was not only born
on American soil, but who descended from parents who for
generations were born in America. I have a right to inter-
pret the law in this manner, and to form my own conclusions
and express my opinions thereon, regardless of the opinions
of other men.

I ask myself, What law have you broken? What con-
stitutional law have you not observed? I am bound not only
by allegiance to the government of the United States, but by
the actual command of God Almighty, to observe and obey
every constitutional law of the land, and without hesitancy
I declare to this congregation that I have never violated,
nor transgressed any law, I am not amenable to any penalties
of the law, because I have endeavored from my youth up to
be a law-abiding citizen, and not only so, but to be a peace-
maker, a preacher of righteousness, and not only to preach
righteousness by word, but by example. What, therefore,
have I to fear? The Lord Almighty requires this people to
observe the laws of the land, to be subject to "the powers
that be," so far as they abide by the fundamental principles
of good government, but he will hold them responsible if
they will pass unconstitutional measures and frame unjust
and proscriptive laws, as did Nebuchadnezzar and Darius, in
relation to the three Hebrew children and Daniel. If law-
makers have a mind to violate their oath, break their cove-

POLITICAL GOVERNMENTS 511

nants and their faith with the people, and depart from the
provisions of the constitution, where is the law, human or
divine, which binds me, as an individual, to outwardly and
openly proclaim my acceptance of their acts? * * *

I wish to enter here my avowal that the people called
Latter-day Saints, as has been often repeated from this stand,
are the most law-abiding, the most peaceable, long-suffering
and patient people that can today be found within the con-
fines of this republic, and perhaps anywhere else upon the
face of the earth ; and we intend to continue to be law-abid-
ing so far as the constitutional law of the land is concerned ;
and we expect to meet the consequence of our obedience to
the laws and commandments of God, like men. These are
my sentiments briefly expressed, upon this subject.

No Nationalities In the Church. In speaking of
nationalities, we all understand or should that in the Church
of Jesus Christ of Latter-day Saints there is neither Scan-
dinavian, nor Swiss, nor German, nor Russian, nor British,
nor any other nationality. We have become brothers in the
household of faith, and we should treat the people from these
nations that are at war with each other, with due kindness
and consideration. It is nothing but natural that people who
are born in a land, though they may have emigrated from it,
who have left their kindred there, many of them, that they
will naturally have a tender feeling toward their fatherland.
But the Latter-day Saints who have come from England and
from France and from Germany and Scandinavia and Hol-
land, into this country, no matter what their country may be
involved in, it is not our business to distinguish them in
any way by criticism or by complaint toward' them, or by
condemnation, because of the place where they were born,
they could not help where they were born, and they have
come here to be Latter-day Saints, not to be Germans, nor to
be Scandinavians, nor to be English or French, nor to be-
long to any other country in the world. They have come

512 GOSPEL DOCTRINE

here to be members of the Church of Jesus Christ of Lat-
ter-day Saints, and good and true citizens of the United
States, and of the several states in which they live, and of
other places throughout the world, where Latter-day Saints
are building homes for themselves. — Apr. C. R.j 1917, p. 11.

Latter-day Saints Loyal To the United States.
We must always bear in mind that we are not only citizens of
the kingdom of God, but we are citizens of the United States,
and of the States in which, we dwell. We have ever been
loyal both to our state and nation, as well as to the Church
of God, and we are at the defiance of the world to prove to
the contrary. We have been willing to fight our country's
battles, to defend her honor, to uphold and sustain her
good name, and we propose to continue in this loyalty to our
nation and to our people unto the end. — Apr. C. R., 1905,
p. 46.

Loyalty to the Constitution of the United States.
And I hope with all my soul that the members of the
Church of Jesus Christ of Latter-day Saints will be loyal in
their very hearts and souls, to the principles of the constitu-
tion of our country. From them we have derived the lib-
erty that we enjoy. They have been the means of guaran-
teeing to the foreigner, that has come within our gates, and
to the native born, and to all the citizens of this country, the
freedom and liberty that we possess. We cannot go back
upon such principles as these. We may go back upon
those who fail to execute the law as they should. We may
be dissatisfied with the decision of judges, and may desire
to have them removed out of their places. But the law pro-
vides ways and means for all these things to be done under
the constitution of our country, and it is better for us to
abide the evils that we have than to fly to greater evils that
we know not what the results will be. — Oct. C. R., 1912,
p. 8.

Proud of the United States. I feel proud of the

POLITICAL GOVERNMENTS 513

nation of which we arc a part, because I am convinced in
my own mind that there is not another nation upon the face
of the globe where the Lord Almighty could have estab-
lished his Church with so little difficulty and opposition as
he has done here in the United States. This was a free
country and religious toleration was the sentiment of the
people of the land. It was the asylum for the oppressed. All
the people of the world were invited here to make homes of
freedom for themselves, and under these tolerant circum-
stances the Lord was able to establish his Church, and has
been able to maintain it and preserve it up to this time, that it
has grown and spread, until it has become respectable —
not only by its members, not only by the few years of age that
it possesses, but respectable because of its intelligence, re-
spectable because of its honesty, its purity, union and indus-
try, and for all its virtues. — Apr. C. R., 1905, p. 6.

Origin and Destiny of the United States: Loyal-
ty of the Latter-day Saints. This great American na-
tion the Almighty raised up by the power of his omnipotent
hand, that it might be possible in the latter days for the
kingdom of God, to be established in the earth. If the
Lord had not prepared the way by laying the foundations
of this glorious nation, it would have been impossible (un-
der the stringent laws and bigotry of the monarchial gov-
ernments of the world) to have laid the foundations for
the coming of his great kingdom. The Loid has done this.
His hand has been over this nation, and it is his purpose
and design to enlarge it, make it glorious above all others,
and to give it dominion, and power over the earth, to the
end that those who are kept in bondage and serfdom may
be brought to the enjoyment of the fullest freedom and
liberty of conscience possible for intelligent men to exer-
cise in the earth. The Church of Jesus Christ of Latter-
day Saints will be a strong supporter of the nation of which
we are a part, in the accomplishment of this grand purpose.

34

514 GOSPEL DOCTRINE

There are no more loyal people to their country on God's
earth today than are the Latter-day Saints to this country.
There are no better, purer or more honorable citizens of
the United States to be found than are found within the
pale of the Church of Jesus Christ of Latter-day Saints. I '
testify to this, and I know whereof I speak. We never have
been enemies to our nation. We have always been true to
it. Though we have been persecuted, we have said, We will
put our trust in thee. We have been driven and maligned,
not by the nation, but by insidious, wicked, unprincipled,
hypocritical, lying, deceitful goats in sheep's clothing, who
are jealous and constantly raising a hue and cry against
the covenant people of God. Our government would have
befriended us, protected us, preserved our rights and liber-
ties, and would have defended us in the enjoyment of our
possessions, if it had not been for these infernal hounds
who are enemies to morality and to the truth. If there be
anything despicable, if there be anything that can never, no,
never, enter into the kingdom of God, it is a wilful liar; and
if we have not been lied about, maligned and misrepresented
of late, then I do not know what lying is. Well, let the
falsifiers go on and lie. Some people are evidently doomed
to lie. President Woodruff used to say there were some
people in his clay who were born to lie, and they were true
to their missions. There are some of these born liars still
with us and still true to their mission. They cannot, it would
seem, tell the truth ; they often do not when it would be for
their best good. So let them go on and lie as much as they
desire. But let us do right, keep the laws of God, and
the laws of man, honor our membership in the kingdom of
God, our citizenship in the state of Utah, and our broader
citizenship in the nation of which we are a part, and then
God will sustain and preserve us, and we will continue to
grow as we have done from the beginning, only our fu-
ture growth will be accelerated and be far greater than it

POLITICAL GOVERNMENTS 515

has been in the past. These slanders and falsehoods that
are circulated abroad with the view of bringing the ire
of the nation upon us will, by and by, be swept away, and
because of these misrepresentations the truth will be brought
out clearer and plainer to the world. Thus the word of the
Lord will be verified, that they cannot do anything against,
but for, the kingdom of God. This is the Lord's work ; it is
not man's ; and he will make it triumphant. He is spreading
it abroad, and giving it deep root in the earth, that its
branches may grow and spread, and its fruit be seen
throughout the length and breadth of the land. — Apr. C. R.,
1903, pp. 73-74.

Saints To Serve God. The Latter-day Saints are
in the midst of -these mountains for the express purpose of
serving Almighty God. We have not come here to serve
ourselves nor to serve the world. We are here because we
have believed in the gospel that has been restored in the
latter day through the Prophet Joseph Smith. We are here
because we believe that God Almighty has organized his
Church and has restored the fulness of the gospel and holy
priesthood. We are here because we have received the tes-
timony of the Spirit of God that the course which we have
pursued in this regard is right and acceptable in the sight of
the Lord. We are here because we have come in obedience
to the command of the Almighty.— Oct. C. R., 1899, p. 43.

Guided by God to the West. On somewhat parallel
lines our people might go back in memo'ry to Ohio and to
Missouri and to Illinois, and recall incidents and conditions
that existed in those early days by which our people were
harassed, mobbed, persecuted, hated and driven away from
their possessions in Ohio, Missouri and Illinois. It was
hard for our people in those times, and under the conditions
that then existed, to see where God in his providence de-
signed good for his people in permitting these conditions to
exist. But who today will dispute the fact that, although

516 GOSPEL DOCTRINE

we were compelled to leave Ohio, Missouri, and Illinois,
against our will, our wishes, our interests temporally, as was
supposed, — it was for our ultimate good? Who of us will
now contend that the overruling Providence which brought
us to this place made a mistake? None of us! When we
look back to it we see clearly, beyond any possible doubt,
that the hand of God was in it. And while it was necessary
for us to be moved from our footholds on the soil that our
fathers had obtained from the government of the United
States, and from old settlers, and while we were compelled
to do it against our supposed interests — we now see it has
resulted in the greatest blessing possible to us and the
Church.

What could we have done in Ohio? What room was
there for growth and development for the Church of Jesus
Christ of Latter-day Saints in Caldwell comity, or in Jack-
son county, or in Clay county, Missouri? Where was the
chance for this Church to spread abroad, grow, and obtain a
foothold in the earth, as we possess it today, in the state of
Illinois? a populous state, her lands occupied by older in-
habitants who were uncongenial and unfriendly. They
had no faith in our good intentions, nor in the divinity of
our cause. They feared us, because the Saints were pro-
gressive. The spirit of growth, development, and of ad-
vancement, characterized the life and labors and existence
of communities of Latter-day Saints, as it has with our
people in Mexico.^ — Oct. C. R., 1912, p. 6.

True Patriotism. Patriotism should be sought for
and will be found in right living, not in high sounding
phrases or words. True patriotism is part of the solemn
obligation that belongs both to the nation and to the indi-
vidual and to the home. Our nation's reputation should be
guarded as sacredly as our family's good name. That repu-
tation should be defended by every citizen, and our children
should be taught to defend their country's honor under all

POLITICAL GOVERNMENTS 517

circumstances. A truly patriotic spirit in the individual
begets a public interest and sympathy which should be
commensurate with our nation's greatness. To be a true
citizen of a great country takes nothing from, but adds to,
individual greatness. While a great and good people nec-
essarily adds greatness and goodness to national life, the
nation's greatness reacts upon its citizens and adds honor to
them, and insures their welfare and happiness. Loyal citi-
zens will probably be the last to complain of the faults and
failures of our national administrators. They would rather
conceal those evils which exist, and try to persuade them-
selves that they are only temporary and may and will in time
be corrected. It is none the less a patriotic duty to guard our
nation whenever and wherever we can against those change-
able and revolutionary tendencies which are destructive of a
nation's weal and permanence. — Juvenile Instructor, Vol. 47,
July, 1912, pp. 388-9.

Importance of National Patriotism. Our national
welfare should always be a theme deeply rooted in our minds
and exemplified in our individual lives, and the desire for our
nation's good should be stronger than political party adher-
ence. The nation's welfare means the welfare of every one
of its citizens. To be a worthy and a prosperous nation, it
must possess those qualities which belong to individual
virtues. The attitude of our country toward other nations
should always be honest and above suspicion, and every
good citizen should be jealous of our nation's reputation
both at home and abroad. National patriotism is, therefore,
something more than mere expression of willingness to fight,
if need be. — Juvenile Instructor, Vol. 47, July, 1912, p. 389.

The Church Not Partisan. The Church of Jesus
Christ of Latter-day Saints is no partisan Church. It is not
a sect. It is The Church of Jesus Christ of Latter-day
Saints. It is the only one today existing in the world that
can and does legitimately bear the name of Jesus Christ and

518 GOSPEL DOCTRINE

his divine authority. I make this declaration in all sim-
plicity and honesty before you and before all the world, bitter
as the truth may seem to those who are opposed and who
have no reason for that opposition. It is nevertheless true
and will remain true until he who has a right to rule among
the nations of the earth and among the individual children
of God throughout the world shall come and take the reins
of government and receive the bride that shall be prepared
for the coming of the Bridegroom. — Improvement Era, Vol.
20, May, 1918, p. 639. See also Gospel Doctrine, pp. 169-70.

The Church Loyal. All churches claim to be divinely
appointed, and place God above country, and any man who
renders true homage to God can not break the law, for he
lives above it. No man can be a good Latter-day Saint and
not be true to the best interests and general welfare of his
country. After all these years, it is folly to say that the
Church is antagonistic to the national government. The part
which our, people took in the Mexican and Spanish-Amer-
ican wars should be enough to eternally brand such state-
ments false. The allegiance claimed from its members by
the Church does not prevent a member from being a loyal
citizen of the Nation. It rather aids him ; fidelity to the
Church enables a man better to entertain patriotic alle-
giance to his nation and country. There is nothing re-
quired' of a Latter-day Saint that can in any way be con-
strued to militate against loyalty to the nation, and for that
reason Senator Smoot is under no obligations to the
Church that can come in conflict with his fealty to country.
It is plain that the campaign of the ministers is unjustified.
— Improvement Era, Vol. 7, March, 1904, p. 382.

Latter-day Saints Are Good Citizens. A good Lat-
ter-day Saint is a good citizen in every way. I desire to say
to the young rrien of our community: be exemplary Latter-
day Saints, and let nothing deter you from aspiring to the
greatest positions which our nation has to offer. Having

POLITICAL GOVERNMENTS 519

secured a place, let your virtue, your integrity, your honesty,
your ability, your religious teachings, implanted in your hearts
at the knees of your devoted "Mormon" mothers, "so shine
before men, that they may see your good works, and glorify
your Father which is in heaven/' — Improvement Era, Vol.
6, April, 1903, p. 469.

Church Not Responsible for Political Parties.
The Church of Christ is not responsible for the actions of
either of the political parties, in any sense, or form. If it
were, they would stop their quarreling and contending, and
the bitterness and animosity they exhibit towards one an-
other would cease. If we had anything to do with them, we
would stop their wrangling, and we would have peace in
their ranks. The fact that they quarrel as they dp is proof
positive we have nothing to do with them. — Apr. C. R.,
1899, p. 41.

The Church Not in Politics. The Church does not
engage in politics ; its members belong to the political parties
at their own pleasure — to the Republicans, the Democrats,
or to no party at all. They are not asked, much less re-
quired, to vote this way or that — a requirement made by
the Protestant mnisters of their members against the Saints.
But they cannot justly be denied their rights as citizens, and
there is no reason why they should be, for, on the average,
they are as loyal, as sober, as well educated, as honest, as in-
dustrious as virtuous, as moral, as thrifty, and as worthy in
every other respect as any people in the nation or on the
earth, for that matter. I think that they are just a little
better in these respects than most other communities or indi-
viduals.

To the young men who may be disheartened by false
attacks upon the Saints, and to the missionaries in the world,
who are driven and persecuted, I wish to say : have no fear ;
slacken not your labors for the truth; live as becometh
Saints. You are in the right way, and the Lord will not let

520 GOSPEL DOCTRINE

your efforts fail. This Church stands in no danger from
opposition and persecution from without. There is more
to fear in carelessness, sin and indifference, from within ;
more danger that the individual will fail in doing right and
in conforming his life to the revealed doctrines of our Lord
and Savior Jesus Christ. If we do the right, all will be well,
the God of our fathers will sustain us, and every opposition
will tend only to the further spread of the knowledge of
truth. — Improvement Era, Vol. 6, June, 1903, p. 625.

Shun the Spirit of Mob Violence. Nobody in the
world deplores more than do the Latter-day Saints the prev-
alence and brutality of mob violence. If mob violence in this
country did not have its origin in the drivings and persecu-
tions of the Latter-day Saints,it is certain that no class of peo-
ple in this country have suffered more and longer from the
lawlessness of the mob than have the Latter-day Saints. For
more than half a century the "Mormons" have been the
victims of lawless mob violence against which very little
has been said, for the chief reason that the victimsTiad been
so long pursued by hatred and prejudice that the world
had been taught to withdraw all its sympathy from them.
Whipping, driving, and shooting "Mormon" elders in the
South called forth no anxiety and little objection upon the
part of the press ; and the "Mormon" elder, pure and up-
right in his life, has received less sympathy and' protest in
his favor than the negro ravisher who deserved, perhaps, the
punishment, however inexcusable the method of execut-
ing it.

The Latter-day Saints in Utah, and everywhere, are
earnestly and prayerfully admonished to shun as a sacred
religious duty the spirit of mob violence. It is better to be
patient* and endure deprivations of human rights than
to violate the institutions of our country, and to substitute
violence for law and order. If the reign of the mob extends
its hideous rule over this country as rapidly in the future

POLITICAL GOVERNMENTS .521

as it has clone in the past, it may reach communities where
the Saints live before they are aware of its presence. It is
not only the duty of every Latter-day Saint, therefore, to
refrain from the violent and unlawful conduct of bodies
of men bent upon human destruction, but to exercise his
influence and power to restrain others from imbuing their
hands in the blood of their fellow men. — Juvenile Instructor,
Vol. 38, September, 1903, p. 564.

The Danger of Mobs. One of the greatest menaces
to our country is that of the combination of men into irre-
sponsible, reckless mobs, wild with prejudice, hatred and
fanaticism, led by men of ambition, or passion, or hatred.
There is no other thing in the world that I can conceive of so
absolutely obnoxious to God and good men as a combina-
tion of men and women filled with the spirit of mobocracy.
Men combining together to stop or shut off the food sup-
ply from the mouth of the honest laborer, to starve the
man that is willing to work, and the wife and the children
who are dependent upon him, because he is not willing to
join a mob, is one of the most infamous perils and menaces
to the people of our country today. I do not care who they
are, or what name they go by. They are a menace to the
peace of the world.— Oct. C. R., 1911, p. 122.

The Basis of Labor Unions. If we are to have labor
organizations among us, and there is no good reason why
our young men might not be so organized, they should be
formed on a sensible basis, and officered by men who have
their families and all their interests around them. The
spirit of good-will and brotherhood, such as we have in the
gospel of Christ, should characterize their conduct and or-
ganizations. For be it known, the religious note is and
should remain the dominant note of our character and of all
our actions.

While there is no reason why workmen should not
join together for their own mutual protection and benefit,

522 GOSPEL DOCTRINE

there is every reason why in so doing they should regard
the rights of their fellows, be jealous of the protection of
property, and eliminate from their methods of warfare, boy-
cots, sympathetic strikes, and' the walking delegate. — Im-
provement Era, Vol. 6, August, 1903, p. 182.

Labor Unions. Labor unions will find that the same
eternal law of justice applies to unions that applies to in-
dividuals, that fair dealing and rational conduct must be
maintained if financial misfortunes are averted. Where
there are Latter-day Saints in unions they should assume a
conservative attitude and never arouse men's prejudices by
inflaming their pasisons. There can be no objections to a
firm and persistent contention for the right of labor, if the
contention is maintained in the spirit of reason and fair-
ness. Above all things, the Latter-day Saints should hold
sacred the life and liberty of their fellow-men, as also their
rights of property and maintain inviolate every right to
which humanity is entitled.

The unions are forcing our people into an inconsistent
and dangerous attitude when they compel Latter-day
Saints within the union to make war upon their brethren
who are without the union, and thereby denying the most
sacred and God-given rights of one class of Saints that an-
other class may gain some advantage over a third person,
their employer. Such conduct is destructive of the liberty
which every man is entitled to enjoy, and will lead in the
end to the spirit of contention and apostasy.

It is not easy to see how the Latter-day Saints can
endorse the methods of modern labor unions. As a people
we have suffered too much from irrational class prejudice
and class hatred to participate in violent and unjust agi-
tations. No one denies the right of laborers to unite in
demanding a just share of the prosperity of our country,
provided the union is governed by the same spirit that

POLITICAL GOVERNMENTS 523

should actuate men who profess the guidance of a Christian
conscience.

In the present status of capital and labor there should
be mutual interests ; .and at the same time workmen should
realize that there is a limit to the pressure which capital can
endure by the demands made upon it. Competition has
always given some measure of relief to the laborer by the
demands of capital for human service, and men should not
therefore abandon themselves to the supposed power of
arbitrary demands which labor unions are now making in
many cases upon their employers. The contention for the
recognition of unions is often a very indefinite factor, for no
one seems to know just what that recognition means now, or
what it is to mean in the future. If recognition means the
exclusive right of any class of men to gain a livelihood by
their work, then recognition should be persistently and
forcefully resisted.

The Latter-day Saints, whether in the unions or out
of them, know very well whether individual or united
demands are arbitrary and unjust, and they will lose noth-
ing by a manly refusal to violate their sense of justice. —
Juvenile Instructor, Vol. 38 June, 1903, p. 370.

Cause of War. The condition of the world today
presents a spectacle that is deplorable, so far as it relates
to the religious convictions, faith and power of the inhab-
itants of the earth. Here we have nations arrayed against
nations, and yet in every one of these nations are so-called
Christian peoples professing to worship the same God,
professing to possess belief in the same divine Redeemer,
many of them professing to be teachers of God's word, and
ministers of life and salvation to the children of men, and
yet these nations are divided one against the other, and
each is praying to his God for wrath upon and victory
over his enemies and for his own preservation. Would it be
possible, could it be possible, for this condition to exist if

524 GOSPEL DOCTRINE

the people of the world possessed really the true knowledge
of the gospel of Jesus Christ? And if they really possessed
the Spirit of the living God — could this condition exist? No;
it could not exist, but war would cease, and contention and
strife would be at an end. And not only the spirit of war
would not exist, but the spirit of contention and strife that
now exists among the nations of the earth, which is the
primal element of war, would cease to be. We know that
the spirit of strife and contention exists to an alarming ex-
tent among all the people of the world. Why does it exist?
Because they are not one with God, nor with Christ. They
have not entered into the true fold, and the result is they do
not possess the spirit of the true Shepherd sufficiently to
govern and control their acts in the ways of peace and
righteousness. Thus they contend and strive one against
another, and at last nation rises up against nation in fulfil-
ment of the predictions of the prophets of God that war
should be poured out upon all nations. I don't want you
to think I believe that God has designed or willed that war
should come among the people of the world, that the nations
of the world should be divided against one another in war,
and engaged in the destruction of each! God did not de-
sign or cause this. It is deplorable to the heavens that such
a condition should exist among men, but the conditions do
exist, and men precipitate war and destruction upon them-
selves because of their wickedness, and that because they
will not abide in God's truth, walk in his love, and seek to
establish and maintain peace instead of strife and conten-
tion in the world.— Oct. C. R., 1914, p. 8.

Attitude Towards War. We do not want war. We
do not want to see our nation go to war. We would like to
see it the arbiter of peace for all nations. We would like
to see the government of the United States true to the con-
stitution, an instrument inspired by the spirit of wisdom
from God. We want to see the benignity, the honor, the

POLITICAL GOVERNMENTS 525

glory and the good name, and the mighty influence for peace
of this nation, extended abroad, not only over Hawaii and
the Philippines, but over the islands of the sea east and ,v r est
of us. We want to see the power, the influence for good,
for elevating mankind, and for the establishment of right-
eous principles spread out over these poor, helpless peoples
of the world, establishing peace, good will and intelligence
among them, that they may grow to be equal, if possible,
to the enlightened nations of the world. — Oct. C. R., 1912,
p. 7.

We Want Peace. We want peace in the world. We
want love and good-will to exist throughout the earth, and
among all the people of the world ; but there never can come
to the world that spirit of peace and love that should exist,
until mankind will receive God's truth and God's message
unto them, and acknowledge his power and authority which
is divine, and never found in the wisdom only of men. — Oct.
C. R. } 1914, p. 7.

When Peace Shall Come. We will never have peace
until we have truth. We will never be able to establish peace
on earth and good will until we have drunk at the fountains
of righteousness and eternal truth, as God has revealed it to
man.— Oct. C. R., 1914, p. 129.

Peace on Earth, Good Will to Men. We certainly
live in troublesome times ; and, notwithstanding the peace
that pervades our own land, we are not without our troubles
at home. There is, among us today, I am sorry to say, the
germ of the spirit that has prompted, very largely, the con-
ditions that exist in Europe today; internal unrest, dissatis-
faction, discontent, internal contention over political, labor
and religious matters, and almost every subject that affects
society at this time. And the very germ that has prompted
the terrible results that we see in the nations of Europe, is
at work among us here today. We need not forget it, nor
ignore it, either.

526 GOSPEL DOCTRINE

There is just one power, and one only, that can prevent
war among the nations of the earth, and that is true religion
and undefined before God, the Father. Nothing else will
accomplish it. It is a very common expression today that
there is good in all religions. So there is; but there is not
sufficient good in the denominations of the world to prevent
war, nor to prevent contention, strife, division and hatred of
one another.

And, put all the good doctrines, in all the denominations
of the world, together, and they do not constitute sufficient
good to prevent the evils that exist in the world. Why? Be-
cause the denominations lack the essential knowledge of
God's revelation and truth, and the enjoyment of that Spirit
which comes from God that leadeth unto all truth, and that
inspires men to do good and not evil, to love and not to hate,
to forgive and not to bear malice, to be kind and generous
and not to be unkind and contracted.

So, I repeat, there is but one remedy that can prevent
men from going to war, when they feel disposed to do it, and
that is the Spirit of God, which inspires to love, and not to
hatred, which leads unto all truth, and not unto error, which
inclines the children of God to pay deference to him and to
his laws and to esteem them as above all other things in the
world.

The Lord has told us that these wars would come. We
have not been ignorant that they were pending, and that
they were likely to burst out upon the nations of the earth
at any time. We have been looking for the fulfilment of the
words of the Lord that they would come. Why? Because
the Lord wanted it ? No ; not by any means. Was it because
the Lord predestined" it, or designed it, in any degree? No,
not at all. Why? It was for the reason that men did not
hearken unto the Lord God, and he foreknew the results that
would follow, because of men, and because of the nations of
the earth ; and therefore he was able to predict what would

POLITICAL GOVERNMENTS 527

befall them, and come upon them in consequence of their
own acts, and not because he has willed it upon them, for
they* are but suffering and reaping the results of their own
actions.

Well,- my sisters, "peace on earth, and good will to
men," is our slogan. That is our principle. That is the prin-
ciple of the gospel of Jesus Christ. And while I think it is
wrong, wickedly wrong, to force war upon any nation, or
upon any people, I believe it is righteous and just for every
people to defend their own lives and their own liberties, and
their own homes, with the last drop of their blood. I believe
it is right, and I believe that the Lord will sustain any people
in defending their own liberty to worship God according to
the dictates of their conscience, any people trying to preserve
their wives and their children from the ravages of the war.
But we do not want to be brought into the necessity of hav-
ing to defend ourselves.

If the condition of the world appears to you as it does
to me, at the present time, it seems to me that you have with-
in your hearts and minds one of the strongest evidences, that
has ever been brought to your understanding, of the truth of
the declaration which God gave to the world through Joseph
Smith, that "they draw near to me with their lips, but their
hearts are far from me; they teach for doctrines the com-
mandments of men: having a form of godliness, but they
deny the power thereof," and have it not. (History of the
Church, Vol. 1, p. 6.) In Germany, at this time, Protestants
and Catholics are praying to God for victory over their foes.
In France and in England and in Russia and in Belgium, and
Austria, and in all other countries, that are at war with one
another, they are praying, Protestants and Catholics together,
for victory. The Allies are praying for victory, to the same
God, supposed to be, for these are called Christian nations,
and they are members of the same churches, worshiping in
the same forms of religion, and yet they are calling upon God

528 GOSPEL DOCTRINE

one against another, to defend them against their enemies,
and to strengthen their arms to destroy their foes. What
does it prove? It proves what God said. They have n6t his
Spirit ; they have not his power to guide them. They are not
in possession of his truth ; and, therefore, the very conditions
that exist are the results of this unbelief in the truth; and
this worship of men and organizations and powers of men is
divested of the power of God.

Now, my sisters, I am speaking from my point of view,
and my point of view is that Christ was divinely appointed
and sent into the world to relieve mankind of sin through
repentance; to relieve mankind from the death which came
upon them by the sin of the first man. I believe it with all
my soul. T believe that Joseph Smith was raised up by Al-
mighty God to renew the spirit, power and plan of God's
Church, of Christ's gospel and holy priesthood. I believe <
it with all my soul, or I would not be here. I therefore stand
upon this principle, that the truth is in the gospel of Jesus
Christ, that the power of redemption, the power of peace,
the power for good-will, love, charity and forgiveness, and
the power for fellowship with God, abides in the gospel of
Jesus Christ and in obedience to it on the part of the people,
I therefore admit, and not only admit but claim, that there is
nothing greater on earth, nor in heaven, than the truth of
God's gospel which he has devised and restored for the sal-
vation and the redemption of the world. And it is through
that that peace will come to the children of men, and it will
not come to the world in any other way. The nations cannot
possess it without they come to God, from whom they are to
receive the spirit of union and the spirit of love. And those
organizations in the world, created with a view to combining
men, possess in them so many of the elements of self-de-
struction that they cannot exist long, as they are, and under
the influences which hold them together today. I can tell
you that there is no combination formed by men that will

POLITICAL GOVERNMENTS 529

prosper and continue to endure, unless it is based upon the
principles of truth, righteousness, and justice toward all.
When a man comes to me and says : "You must be my serv-
ant, you must obey me, or conform to my plan, or we will
starve you to death," I don't care how many elements of
goodness there are in the organization that will exclude me
from a right to worship God according to the dictates of my
conscience or that would prevent me from laboring in honest
labor to earn my bread, it possesses the elements of decay
and destruction, and it cannot last, for it is wiong, absolutely
wrong.

In the gospel is the light of freedom. Men worship God
according to the dictates of their own conscience. We can-
not compel you to obey the principles of the gospel at all.

That is the principle of the gospel of Jesus Christ. But
these man-made organizations will force you to do as they
will or they will damn you and destroy you \ and therein lies
the element of self-destruction in themselves, because they
can only last for a time. — Relief Society Magazine, Vol. 2,
No. 1, 1914, p. 13.

The Key to Peace. There is only one thing that can
bring peace into the world. It is the adoption of the gospel
of Jesus Christ, rightly understood, obeyed and practiced by
rulers and people alike. It is being preached in power to all
nations, kindreds, tongues and peoples of the world, by the
Latter-day Saints, and the day is not far distant when its
message of salvation shall sink deep into the hearts of the
common people, who, in sincerity and earnestness, when the
time comes, will not only surely register their judgment
against a false Christianity, but against war and the makers
of war as crimes against the human race. For years it has
been held that peace comes only by preparation for war ;
the present conflict should prove that peace comes only by
preparing for peace, through training the people in right-

35

530 GOSPEL DOCTRINE

eousness and justice, and selecting rulers who respect the
righteous will of the people.

Not long hence and' the voice of the people shall be
obeyed, and the true gospel of peace shall dominate the
hearts of the mighty. It will then be impossible for war
lords to have power over the life and death of millions of
men as they now have, to decree the ruin of commerce, in-
dustry, and growing fields, or to cause untold mental agony
and human misery like plague and pestilence to prevail over
the nations. It looks much as if, after the devastation of
wars, as promised in the scriptures, (and who shall say that
it may not follow this war?) the self -constituted monarchs
must give way to rulers chosen by the people, who shall be
guided by the doctrines of love and peace as taught
in the gospel of our Lord. There will then be instituted a
new social order in which the welfare of all shall be upper-
most, and all shall be permitted to live in the utmost liberty
and happiness. — Improvement Era, Vol. 17, No. 11, Septem-
ber, 1914, p. 1074.

God Strives With Warring Nations. Would the
nations of the earth that are at war with each other be at war
as they are, if the Spirit of God Almighty had pervaded their
souls and moved and actuated them in their designs ? No ;
not at all. Worldly ambition, pride, and the love of power,
determination on the part of rulers to prevail over their
competitors in the national games of life, wickedness at
heart, desire for power, for worldly greatness, have led the
nations of the earth to quarrel with one another and have
brought them to war and self-destruction. I presume there
is not a nation in the world today that is <iot tainted with
this evil more or less. It may be possible, perhaps, to trace
the cause of the evil, or the greatest part of it, to some par-
ticular nation of the earth ; but I do not know. This I do
believe, with all my heart, that the hand of God is striving
with certain of the nations of the earth to preserve and pro-

POLITICAL GOVERNMENTS 531

tect human liberty, freedom to worship him according to the
dictates of conscience, freedom and the inalienable right of
men to organize national governments in the earth, to choose
for themselves their own leaders ; men whom they may select
as standards of honor, of virtue and truth, men of wisdom,
understanding and integrity; men who have at heart the
well-being of the people who choose them to govern, to enact
and execute the law in righteousness. I believe that the
Lord's hand is over the nations of the world today, to bring
about this rule and this reign of liberty and righteousness
among the nations of the earth. He has some hard material
to work with, too. He is working with men who never
prayed, men who have never known God, nor Jesus Christ
whom he hath sent into the world, and whom to know is life
enternal. God is dealing with nations of infidels, men who
fear not God, and love not the truth, men who have no re-
spect for virtue or purity of life. God is dealing with men
who are full of pride and ambition ; and he will find it diffi-
cult, I fear, to control them and lead them directly in the
course that he would have them pursue to accomplish his
purposes; but he is striving to uplift. God is striving to
bless, to benefit, to happify, to ameliorate the condition of
his children in the world, to give them freedom from ignor-
ance and a knowledge of him to learn of his ways and to
walk in his paths, that they may have his Spirit to be with
them always, to lead them into all truth. — Improvement Era,
Vol. 20, July, 1917, p. 823.

Conduct of the Boys in the Army. Therefore,
when our boys and our maturer men are invited and chosen,
selected and called, to go out to help to protect and defend
these principles, we hope and pray, and we certainly have
some reason to believe that there will be some, at least, from
amidst the great family of mankind in the world, who will
have some affinity with the Spirit of God and at least some
desire, some inclination, to hearken to the whisperings of the

532 GOSPEL DOCTRINE

still small voice of the Spirit, that leadeth to peace and hap-
piness, to the well-being and the uplifting of mankind in the
world and to life, eternal. When a Latter-day Saint, a man
born, perhaps, and reared under the bond of the New and
Everlasting Covenant of the gospel, enlists in the army of
the United States, in the National Guard, which has been
recommended here by President Penrose to you — and which
I confirm and emphasize, because I think the citizens of the
state should be united together, and the cities and the state
should stand together and should have sympathy and fellow-
ship for each other, more than they could' expect to derive
from those of other states and places, who are strangers and
foreigners to them — that when our boys, thus born, are
called into the army of the United States, I hope and pray
that they will carry with them the Spirit of + God, not the
spirit of bloodshed, of adultery, of wickedness, but the spirit
of righteousness, the spirit which leads to do good, to build
up, to benefit the world, and not to destroy and shed blood.

Remember the passage of scripture that was quoted
here by President Lund, as related in the Book of Mormon,
concerning the pure young men that abjured war and the
shedding of blood, lived pure and innocent, free from the
contaminating thought of strife, of anger, or wickedness in
their hearts ; but when necessity required, and they were
called to go out to defend their lives, and the lives of their
fathers and mothers, and their homes, they went — not to
destroy but to defend, not to shed blood but rather to save
the blood of the innocent and of the unoffending, and the
peace-lovers of mankind.

Will those men who go out from Utah, irom the Church
of Jesus Christ of Latter-day Saints, forget their prayers?
Will they forget God? Will they forget the teachings that
they have received from their parents at home? Will they
forget the principles of the gospel of Jesus Christ and the
covenants that they have made in the waters of baptism, and

POLITICAL GOVERNMENTS 533

in sacred places ? Or will they go out as men, in every sense
— pure men, high-minded men, honest men, virtuous men,
men of God ? That is what I am anxious about.

I want to see the hand of God made manifest in the
acts of the men that go out from the ranks ot the Church of
Jesus Christ and from the state of Utah, to help to defend
the principles of liberty and sound government for the hu-
man family. I want to see them so live that they can be in
communion with the Lord, in their camps, and in their secret
places, and that in the midst of battle they can say : "Father,
my life and my spirit are in thine hand!"

I want to see the boys that go away from here in this
cause, go feeling just as our missionaries do when sent
out into the world, carrying with them the spirit a good
mother feels when she parts with her boy, on the morning
of his departure for his mission. She embraces him with all
the mother's love in her soul — !

I know how the mother feels for her boy when he goes
away from home on a mission, where he will be in the midst
of strangers, without friends, trying to preach the gospel to
the world. She says to him: "My boy, I have taught you
the principles of the gospel. I have taught you to pray to
God, at my knees, from the time you were a child until you
have reached manhood. I have taught you virtue. I have
taught you honor. I have taught you to stand for the Truth,
and to honor your father and your mother in the world, and
by so doing honor the fathers and the mothers, and the
daughters of all men, wherever you go. Never in your life
think of defiling any man's wife, or daughter, any more
than you would think of defiling your mother or your sister !
Go out into the world from your home clean. Keep yourself
pure and unspotted from the world, and you will be immune
from sin, and God will protect you. You will be in his
hands. Then, if anything should happen that would cost you
your life, you will lay it down in the service of humanity and

534 GOSPEL DOCTRINE

of God. You would lay down your life pure and undefiled.
Your spirit would ascend from that tenement of clay inhab-
ited in this world, into the glorious presence of God, unde-
filed, uncontaminated, pure and clean as the spirit of a child
just born into the world. Thus you would be acceptable to
God, ready to receive your crown of glory and everlasting
reward."

So I would say, "My boy, my son, and your son, when
you go out to face the disasters that are now afflicting the
world, go out as you do on a mission, be just as good
and pure and true in the army of the United States as you
are in the army of the elders of Israel that are preaching the
gospel of love and peace to the world. Then, if you un-
avoidably fall a prey to the bullet of the enemy you will go
pure as you have lived; you will be worthy of your reward;
you will have proved yourself a hero, and not only a hero,
but a valiant servant of the living God, worthy of his ac-
ceptation and of admission into the loving presence of the
Father!"

It is in such things as this that we can see the hand of
God. If our boys will only go out into the world this way,
carrying with them the spirit of the gospel and the behavior
of true Latter-day Saints, no matter what may befall them in
life, they will endure with the best. They will be able to
endure as much as anybody else can possibly endure of fa-
tigue or of suffering, if necessary, and when they are
brought to the test they will stand it ! Because they have no
fear of death! They will be free from fear of the conse-
quences of their own lives. They will have no need to dread
death, for they have done their work; they have kept the
faith ; they are pure in heart, and they are worthy to see God !

I have some feeling in these matters, for I have boys of
my own, and I love my sons. They have grown up with me.
They are mine! The Lord gave them to me. I expect to
claim them, in the relationship of father and sons that exists

POLITICAL GOVERNMENTS 535

between us, throughout all eternities that will come. I would
rather see my sons shot down by the enemies of God and
humanity, by those who are inimical to the freedom of the
children of men, while defending the cause of Righteousness
and Truth, a thousand times rather, than to see them die the
vile death of sinners and of transgressors of the laws of God.
While death in battle might be instantaneous, or it might
linger, perhaps, to one whose cause is just it would be honor-
able ; but the death that is caused by the transgressions of the
laws of God, by the poison and sting of sin, is to be dreaded
worse, a thousand times than to die sinless in defending the
cause of Truth.

I don't want to see one of my boys lose the faith of the
gospel of Jesus Christ. I don't want to see one of them deny
Chist, the Son of the living God, the Savior of the world. I
do not want one of them to turn his back upon the divine
mission of the Prophet Joseph Smith whose blood courses in
their veins. I would rather see them perish in defending a
cause of righteousness, a thousand times, while they are firm
in the faith, than I would see them live to deny that faith and
the God that gave them life ! That is where I stand with ref-
erence to the matters that are facing us at this moment!
— Improvement Era, Vol. 20, July, 1917, p. 824, June C. R.

Message to the Boys in War Service. Our coun-
try is at war. This regrettable condition has been forced
upon us by enemies of representative government and indi-
vidual freedom. Despotism is endeavoring to gain the
ascendency and to ^establish its might in the earth. Many
of our young men who have been reared in the Church,
taught the principles of the gospel in the Sabbath Schools
and other organizations of the Church, have been called to
the colors in defense of our liberties and the liberty and
freedom of the world. In all probability they will be sent to
the front before many months have passed to take their
places in the trenches in the European battlefields and en-

55b GOSPEL DOCTRINE

gage in this appalling conflict the like of which the world
has never seen until this day.

We most sincerely hope that our young men will prove
loyal to their country and stand honorably in its defense and
prove themselves worthy in every respect as defenders of
those principles for which our government was born and for
which it still exists.

In going forth to war these young men are liable to be
confronted with danger far greater than that which they
might expect from the bullets of the enemy. There are
many evils that usually follow in the wake of marshaled
armies equipped for and engaged in war, far worse than
honorable death which may come in the conflict of battle. It
matters not so much when our young men are called, or
where they may go, but it does matter much to their parents,
friends and associates in the truth, and above all to them-
selves, how they go. They have been trained all their lives
as members of the Church to keep themselvs pure and un-
spotted" from the sins of the world, to respect the rights of
others, to be obedient to righteous principles, to remember
that virtue is one of the greatest gifts from God. Moreover,
that they should respect the virtue of others and rather die
a thousand times than defile themselves by committing dead-
ly sin. We want them to go forth clean, both in thought and
action, with faith in the principles of the gospel and the
redeeming grace of our Lord and Savior. We would have
them remember that only by living clean and' faithful lives
can they hope to attain the salvation promised through the
shedding of the blood of our Redeemer.

If they will go forth in this manner, fit companions for
the Spirit of the Lord, free from sin, and trusting in tlie
Lord, then whatever befalls them they will know that they
have found favor in the sight of God. Should death over-
take them while thus engaged in the discharge of duty in
defense of their country, they need have no fear, for their

POLITICAL GOVERNMENTS .537

salvation is assured. Moreover, under conditions such as
these they will have a better claim to the blessings of the
Almighty and, like the two thousand young men of Hela-
man's army, they will be more likely to receive the protecting
care from the Lord.

Let them go in the spirit of truth and righteousness ; the
spirit which will direct them to save rather than destroy;
which leads to do good rather than to commit evil ; with love
in their hearts for their fellow men, prepared to teach all
mankind the saving principles of the gospel. And, should
they be required, in the defense of the principles for which
they go, to shed the blood of any among the contending
forces, it shall not be a sin, and the blood of their enemies
shall not be required at their hands.

We will have no fear for those who will be true to the
covenants they have made in the waters of baptism and ob-
serve to keep the commandments of God. If they die, they
shall die unto the Lord and shall stand before him spotless
and vofd of offense. And should they return unharmed,
we will give to our Father in heaven the credit for his pro-
tecting care over them while in the discharge of perilous
duty. While they are away the prayers of the Saints will
ascend in their behalf for their protection, and we sincerely
hope their prayers will not be without avail, and surely they
will avail if our boys will continue to be worthy of the mer-
cies of the Lord. — Juvenile Instructor, August, 1917, p. 404,
Vol. 52.

CHAPTER XXIV.

Eternal Life and Salvation.

Eternal Life and Salvation. Every man born into
the world will die. It matters not who he is, nor where he
is, whether his birth be among the rich and the noble, or
among the lowly' and poor in the world, his days are num-
bered with the Lord, and in due time he will reach the end.
We should think of this. Not that we should go about with
heavy hearts or with downcast countenances; not at all. I
rejoice that I am born to live, to die, and to live again. I
thank God for this intelligence. It gives me joy and peace
that the world cannot give, neither can the world take it
away. God has revealed this to me, in the gospel of Jesus
Christ. I know it to be true. Therefore, I have nothing to
be sad over, nothing to make me sorrowful. All that I have
to do with in the world is calculated to buoy me up, to give
me joy and peace, hope and consolation in this present life,
and a glorious hope of salvation and exaltation in the pres-
ence of my God in the world to come. I have no reason to
mourn, not even at death. It is true, I am weak enough to
weep at the death of my friends and kindred. I may shed
tears when I see the grief of others. I have sympathy in
my soul for the children of men. I can weep with them
when they weep ; I can rejoice with them when they rejoice ;
but I have no cause to mourn, nor to be sad because death
comes into the world. I am speaking now of the temporal
death, the death of the body. All fear of this death has been
removed from the Latter-day Saints. They have no dread
of the temporal death, because they know that as death
came upon them by the transgression of Adam, so by the
righteousness of Jesus Christ shall life come unto them,

ETERNAL LIFE AND SALVATION 539

and though they die, they shall live again. Possessing this
knowledge, they have joy even in death, for they know that
they shall rise again and shall meet again beyond the grave.
They know that the spirit dies not at all; that it passes
through no change, except the change from imprisonment in
this mortal clay to freedom and to the sphere in which it
acted before it came to this earth. We are begotten in the
similitude of Christ himself. We dwelt with the Father
and with the Son in the beginning, as the sons and daugh-
ters of God; and at the time appointed, we came to this
earth to take upon ourselves tabernacles, that we might be-
come conformed to the likeness and image of Jesus Christ
and become like him; that we might have a tabernacle,
that we might pass through death as he has passed through
death, that we might rise again from the dead as he has
risen from the dead. As he was the first fruits of the res-
urrection of the dead, so shall we be the second fruits of
the resurrection from the dead; for as he came forth, so
shall we come forth. What is there, therefore, to be sad
about? What is there to make us heavy of heart or sor-
rowful in this matter? Nothing at all. Sorrowful, indeed,
to think that we shall live forever! Is there any cause for
sorrow to know that we shall rise from the dead, and pos-
sess the same tabernacle that we have here in mortality ? Is
there cause for sorrow in this great, glorious gospel truth
that has been revealed to us in this dispensation? Certainly
there can be no sorrow connected with a thought like this.
There must be only joy connected with this knowledge — the
joy that springs from the ten thousand feelings and affec-
tions of the human soul; the joy that we feel in associa-
tion with brethren, with wives and children, with fathers
and mothers, with brothers and sisters. All these joyous
thoughts spring up in our souls at the thought of death and
the resurrection. Wherein should we be sad or sorrowful?
On the contrary, it is cause for joy unspeakable, and for

540 GOSPEL DOCTRINE

pure happiness. I cannot express the joy I feel at the
thought of meeting my father, and my precious mother,
ivho gave me birth in the midst of persecution and poverty,
who bore me in her arms and was patient, forbearing, tender
and true during all my helpless moments in the world. The
thought of meeting her, who can express the joy? The
thought of meeting my children who have preceded me be-
yond the veil, and of meeting my kindred and my friends,
what happiness it affords ! For I know that I shall meet
them there. God has shown me that this is true. He has
made it clear to me, in answer to my prayer and devotion,
as he has made it clear to the understanding of all men who
have sought diligently to know him. — Oct. C. R., 1899, pp.
70-71.

Close Relation of the Next Life. I feel sure
that the Prophet Joseph Smith and his associates, who, un-
der the guidance and inspiration of the Almighty, and by
his power, began this latter-day work, would rejoice and
do rejoice, — I was going to say if they were permitted to
look down upon the scene that I behold in this tabernacle, —
but I believe they do have the privilege of looking down
upon us just as the all-seeing eye of God beholds every part
of his handiwork. For I believe that those who have been
chosen in this dispensation and in former dispensations,
to lay the foundation of God's work in the midst of the
children of men, for their salvation and exaltation, will not
be deprived in the spirit world from looking down upon
the results of their own labors, efforts and mission assigned
them by the wisdom and purpose of God, to help to redeem
and to reclaim the children of the Father from their sins.
So I feel quite confident that the eye of Joseph, the prophet,
and of the martyrs of this dispensation, and of Brigham, and
John, and Wilford, and those faithful men who were asso-
ciated with them in their ministry upon the earth, are care-
fully guarding the interests of the kingdom of God in which

ETERNAL LIFE AND SALVATION 541

they labored and for which they strove during their mortal
lives. I believe they are as deeply interested in our welfare
today, if not with greater capacity, with far more interest,
behind the veil, than they were in the flesh. I believe they
know more; I believe their minds have expanded beyond
their comprehension in mortal life, and their interests are
enlarged and expanded in the work of the Lord to which
they gave their lives and their best service. Although some
may feel and think that it is a little extreme to take this view,
yet I believe that it is true ; and I have a feeling in my heart
that I stand in the presence not only of the Father and of
the Son, but in the presence of those whom God commis-
sioned, raised up, and inspired, to lay the foundations of
the work in which we are engaged. Accompanying that
sense or feeling, I am impressed with the thought that I
would not this moment say or do one thing that would be
taken as unwise or imprudent, or that would give offense to
any of my former associates and co-laborers in the work of
the Lord.

I would not like to say one thing, or express a thought,
that would grieve the heart of Joseph, or of Brigham, or of
John, or of Wilford, or Lorenzo, or of any of their faithful
associates in the ministry. Sometimes the Lord expands our
vision from this point of view and this side of the veil, that we
feel and seem to realize that we can look beyond the thin veil
which separates us from that other sphere. If we can see,
by the enlightening influence of the Spirit of God and
through the words that have been spoken by the holy
prophets of God, beyond the veil that separates us from the
spirit world, surely those who have passed beyond, can see
more clearly through the veil back here to us than it is. pos-
sible for us to see to them from our sphere of action. I be-
lieve we move and have our being in the presence of heaven-
ly messengers and of heavenly beings. We are not separated
from them. We begin to realize more and more fully, as we

542 GOSPEL DOCTRINE

become acquainted with the principles of the gospel, as they
have been revealed anew in this dispensation, that we are
closely related to our kindred, to our ancestors, to our
friends and associates and co-laborers who have preceded us
into the spirit world. We cannot forget them; we do not
cease to love them ; we always hold them in our hearts, in
memory, and thus we are associated and united to them by
ties that we cannot break, that we cannot dissolve or free
ourselves from. If this is the case with us in our finite con-
dition, surrounded by our mortal weaknesses, shortsighted-
ness, lack of inspiration and wisdom, from time to time,
how much more certain it is, and reasonable and consistent,
to believe that those who have been faithful, who have gone
beyond, are still engaged in the work for the salvation of the
souls of men, in the opening of the prison doors to them
that are bound and proclaiming liberty to the captives, who
can see us better than we can 'see them — that they know us
better than we know them. They have advanced; we are
advancing; we art growing as they have grown; we are
reaching the goal that they have attained unto; and there-
fore, I claim that we live in their presence, they see us, they
are solicitous for our welfare, they love us now more than
ever. For now they see the dangers that beset us ; they can
comprehend better than ever before, the weaknesses that are
liable to mislead us into dark and forbidden paths. They
see the temptations and the evils that beset us in life and
the proneness of mortal beings to yield to temptation and
to wrong doing; hence their solicitude for us and their love
for us and their desire for our well being must be greater
than that which we feel for ourselves. I thank God for the
feeling that I possess and enjoy, and for the realization that
I have that I stand, not only in the presence of Almighty
God, my Maker and Father, but in the presence of his Only
Begotten Son in the flesh, the Savior of the world; and I
stand in the presence of Peter and James, (and perhaps the

ETERNAL LIFE AND SALVATION 543

eyes of John are also upon us and we know it not) ; and that
I stand also in the presence of Joseph, and Hyrum, and Brig-
ham, and John, and those who have been valiant in the tes-
timony of Jesus Christ and faithful to their mission in the
world, who have gone before. When I go, I want to have
the privilege of meeting them with the consciousness that I
have followed their example, that I have carried out the
mission in which they were engaged, as they would have
it carried out ; that I have been as faithful in the discharge
of duty, committed to me and required at my hand, as they
were faithful in their time, and that when I meet them, I
shall meet them as I met them here, in love, in harmony, in
unison, and in perfect confidence that I have done my duty
as they have done theirs.

I hope you will forgive me for my emotion. You would
have peculiar emotions, would you not, if you felt that you
stood in the presence of your Father, in the very presence of
Almighty God, in the very presence of the Son of God and
of holy angels? You would feel rather emotional, rather
sensitive. I feel it to the very depths of my soul this mo-
ment. So I hope you will forgive me, if I exhibit some of
my real feelings. — Apr. C. R., 1916, pp. 2-4.

Condition in a Future Life. Some people dream,
you know, and think, and teach that all the glory they ever
expect to have in the world to come is to sit in the light and
glory of the Son of God, and sing praises and songs of joy
and gratitude all their immortal lives. We do not believe in
any such things. We believe that every man will have his
work to do in the other world, just as surely as he had it to
do here, and a greater work than he can do here. We be-
lieve that we are on the road of advancement, of develop-
ment in knowledge, in understanding, and in every good
thing, and that we will continue to grow, advance, and
develop throughout the eternities that are before us. That
is what we believe. — Apr. C. R., 1912, p. 8.

544 GOSPEL DOCTRINE

Spiritual Death. But I want to speak a word or two
in relation to another death, which is a more terrible death
than that of the body. When Adam, our first parent, par-
took of the forbidden fruit, transgressed the law of God,
and became subject unto Satan, he was banished from the
presence of God, and was thrust out into outer spiritual
darkness. This was the first death. Yet living, he was dead
— dead to God, dead to light and truth, dead spiritually ; cast
out from the presence of God ; communication between the
Father and the Son cut off. He was as absolutely thrust
out from the presence of God as was Satan and the hosts
that followed him. That was spiritual death. But the Lord
said that he would not suffer Adam nor his posterity to
come to the temporal death until they should have the means
by which they might be redeemed from the first death, which
is spiritual. Therefore angels were sent unto Adam, who
taught him the gospel, and revealed to him the principle by
which he could be redeemed from the first death, and be
brought back from banishment and outer darkness Into the
marvelous light of the gospel. He was taught faith, re-
pentance, and baptism for the remission of sins, in the name
of Jesus Christ, who should come in the meridian of time
and take away the sin of the world, and was thus given a
chance to be redeemed from the spiritual death before he
should die the temporal death.

Now, all the world today, I am sorry to say, with the
exception of a handful of people who have obeyed the new
and everlasting covenant, are suffering this spiritual death.
They are cast out from the presence of God. They are
without God, without gospel truth, and without the power
of redemption; for they know not God nor his gospel. In
order that they may be redeemed and saved from the spirit-
ual death which has spread over the world like a pall, they
must repent of their sins, and be baptized by one having au-
thority, for the remission of their sins, that they may be

ETERNAL LIFE AND SALVATION 545

born of God. That is why we want these young men to go
out into the world to preach the gospel. While they them-
selves understand but little, perhaps, the germ of life ^ in
them. They have been born again, they have received the
gift of the Holy Ghost, and they have the authority of the
holy priesthood, by which they can administer in the name
of the Father, and of the Son, and of the Holy Ghost.
Though they may know but little in the beginning, they
can learn, and as they learn they can preach, and as they
have opportunity they can baptize for the remission of sins.
Therefore, we want them to do their duty at home. We
want them above all things to be pure in heart. — Oct. C. R.,
1899, p. 72.

The Unpardonable Sin. Now, if Judas really had
known God's power, and had partaken thereof, and did
actually "deny the truth" and "defy" that power, "having
denied the Holy Spirit? after he had received it," and also
"denied the Only Begotten," after God had "revealed him"
unto him, then there can be no doubt that he "will die the
second death."

That Judas did partake of all this knowledge — that
these great truths had been revealed to him — that he had
.received the Holy Spirit by the gift of God, and was there-
fore qualified to commit the unpardonable sin, is not at all
clear to me. To my mind it strongly appears that not one
of the disciples possessed sufficient light, knowledge, nor wis-
dom, at the time of the crucifixion, for either exaltation or
condemnation; for it was afterward that their minds were
opened to understand the scriptures, and that they were
endowed with power from on high ; without which they were
only children in knowledge, in comparison to what they
afterwards became under the influence of the Spirit.

Saul, of Tarsus, possessing extraordinary intelligence
and learning, brought up at the feet of Gamaliel, taught ac-
cording to the perfect manner of the law, persecuted the

546 GOSPEL DOCTRINE

Saints unto death, binding and delivering unto prisons
both men and women; and when the blood of the Martyr
Stephen was shed, Saul stood by keeping the raiment of
those who slew him, and consented unto his death. And
"he made havoc of the Church, entering into every house,
and haling men and women committed them to prison."
And when they were put to death, he gave his voice against
them, and he "punished them oft in every synagogue, and
compelled them to blaspheme; and being exceedingly mad
against them, persecuted them even unto strange cities."
and yet this man committed no unpardonable sin, because
he knew not the Holy Ghost. Acts 8 :3 ; 9 :1 ; 22 :4 ; 26 :10, 11.

While, for the crime of adultery with Bathsheba, and
for ordering Uriah to be put in the front of battle in a time
of war, where he was slain by the enemy, the priesthood, and
the kingdom were taken from David, the man after God's
own heart, and his soul was thrust into hell. Why? Be-
cause "the Holy Ghost spake by the mouth of David" — or,
in other words, David possessed the gift of the Holy Ghost,
and had power to speak by the light thereof. But even
David, though guilty of adultery and the murder of Uriah,
obtained the promise that his soul should not be left in hell.
Which means, as I understand it, that even he shall escape
the second death.

While suspended upon the cross, in the agonies of
death, as he was about to yield up his spirit, our gracious,
glorious Savior breathed this memorable and merciful
prayer: "Father, forgive them; for they know not what
they do." (Luke 23:34.)

No man can sin against light until he has it; nor
against the Holy Ghost, until after he has received it by the
gift of God through the appointed channel or way. To sin
against the Holy Ghost, the Spirit of Truth, the Comforter,
the Witness of the Father and the Son, wilfully denying
him and defying him, after having received him, constitutes

ETERNAL LIFE AND SALVATION 547

this sin. Did Judas possess this light, this witness, this
Comforter, this baptism of fire and the Holy Ghost, this
endowment from on high? If he did, he received it before
the betrayal, and therefore before the other eleven apostles.
And if this be so, may you say, "he is a son of perdition
without hope ?" But if he was destitute of this glorious gift
and outpouring of the Spirit, by which the witness came to
the eleven, and their minds were opened to see and know
the truth, and they were able to testify of him, then what
constituted the unpardonable sin of this poor, erring crea-
ture, who rose no higher in the scale of intelligence, honor
or ambition than to betray the Lord of glory for thirty
pieces of silver?

But not knowing that Judas did commit the unpardon-
able sin ; nor that he was a "son of perdition without hope"
who will die the second death, nor what knowledge he pos-
sessed by which he was able to commit so great a sin, I
prefer, until I know better, to take the merciful view that he
may be numbered among those for whom the blessed Mas-
ter prayed, "Father, forgive them ; for they know not what
they do."— Improvement Era, Vol. 21, June, 1918, p. 732.

The Resurrection. Speaking of the resurrection, the
subject on which so much has been said during this con-
ference, and appropriately said, too — we distinctly believe
that Jesus Christ himself is the true, and only true type of
the resurrection of men from death unto life. We believe
there is no other form of resurrection from death to life;
that as he rose, and as he preserved his identity, even to the
scars of the wounds in his hands and feet and side, that he
could prove himself to those that were skeptical, of the
possibility of rising from the dead, that he was indeed him-
self, the Lord crucified, buried in the tomb, and raised again
from death to life, so it will be with you and with every
son and daughter of Adam, born into the world. You will
not lose your identity any more than Christ did. You will

548 GOSPEL DOCTRINE

be brought forth from death to life again, just as surely as
Christ was brought forth from death to life again, just as
surely as those who ministered to the Prophet Joseph Smith
had been raised from death to life — therefore, in the same
manner in which Christ has been raised, so will life, and the
resurrection from death to life again, come upon all who
have descended from our first parents. The death' that
came into the world by Adam's transgression has been con-
quered, and its terror vanquished by the power and right-
eousness of the Son of God. He came to redeem man from
the temporal death, and also to save him from spiritual
death if he will repent of his sins, and will believe on the
name of Christ, follow his example, and obey his laws. —
Apr. C. R., 1912, p. 135-136.

Nature of Ministering Angels. We are told by the
Prophet Joseph Smith, that "there are no angels who minis-
ter to this earth but those who do belong or have belonged to
it." Hence, when messengers are sent to minister to the
inhabitants of this earth, they are not strangers, but from
the ranks of our kindred, friends, and fellow-beings and
fellow-servants. The ancient prophets who died were those
who came to visit their fellow creatures upon the earth.
They came to Abraham, to Isaac, and to Jacob ; it was such
beings — holy beings if you please— that waited upon the
Savior and administered to him on the Mount. The
angel that visited John, when an exile, and' unfolded
" to his vision future events in the history of man upon
the earth, was one who had been here, who had toiled
and suffered in common with the people of God ; for
you remember that John, after his eyes had beheld the
glories of the great future, was about to fall down and
worship him, but was peremptorily forbidden to do so.
"See thou do it not; for I am thy fellow servant, and
of thy brethren the prophets, and of them which keep the
sayings of this book: worship God." (Rev. 22:9.) Jesus has

ETERNAL LIFE AND SALVATION 549

visited the people of this earth from time to time. He
visited and showed himself in his spiritual body to the
brother of Jared, touching certain stones with his finger,
that the brother of Jared had fashioned uut of the rock,
making them to give light to him and his people in the
barges in which they crossed the waters of the great deep
to come to this land. He visited others at various times
before and after he tabernacled in the flesh. It was Jesus
who created this earth, it therefore is his inheritance, and
he had a perfect right to come and minister to inhabitants
of this earth. He came in the meridian of time and tab-
ernacled in the flesh, some 33 years among men, introduc-
ing and teaching the fulness of the gospel, and calling
upon all men to follow in his footsteps; to do the same
thing that he himself did, that they might be worthy to
inherit with him the same glory. After he suffered the death
of the body, he appeared, not only to his disciples and
others on the eastern continent, but to the inhabitants of
this continent, and he ministered unto them as he did to the
people, in the land of Palestine. In like manner our fathers
and mothers, brothers, sisters and friends who have passed
away from this earth, having been faithful, and worthy to
enjoy these rights and privileges, may have a mission given
them to visit their relatives and friends upon the earth again,
bringing from the divine Presence messages of love, of
warning, of reproof • and instruction, to those whom they
had learned to love in the flesh. And so it is with Sister
Cannon. She can return and visit her friends, provided it be
in accordance with the wisdom of the Almighty. There
are laws to which they who are in the Paradise of God
must be subject, as well as laws to which we are subject. It
is our duty to make ourselves acquainted with those laws,
that we may know how to live in harmony with his will
while we dwell in the flesh, that we may be entitled to
come forth in the morning of the first resurrection, clothed

550 GOSPEL DOCTRINE

with glory, immortality and eternal lives, and be permitted
to sit down at the right hand of God, in the kingdom of
heaven. And except we become acquainted with those
laws, and live in harmony with them, we need not expect
to enjoy these privileges; Joseph Smith, Hyrum Smith,
Brigham Young, Heber C. Kimball, Jedediah M. Grant,
David Patten, Joseph Smith, Sen., and all those noble men
who took an active part in the establishment of this work,
and who died true and faithful to their trust, have the right
and privilege, and possess the keys and power, to minister
to the people of God in the flesh who live now, as much
so and on the same principle as the ancient servants of
God had the right to return to the earth and minister to
the Saints of God in their day.

These are correct principles. There is no question about
that in my mind. It is according to the Scriptures ; it is
according to the revelation of God to the Prophet Joseph
Smith; and it is a subject upon which we may dwell with
pleasure and perhaps profit to ourselves, provided we have
the Spirit of God to direct us. — Discourse delivered at the
funeral services of Elizabeth H. Cannon, Fourteenth ward
assembly rooms, Salt Lake City, Jan. 29, 1882. Journal of
Discourses, Vol. 22, pp. 350-353.

Redemption Beyond the Grave. "But wo unto him
that has the law given ; yea, that has all the commandments
of God, like unto us, and that transgresseth them, and that
wasteth the days of his probation, for awful is his state" (II
Nephi 9 :27-38; see also Alma 11 :40, 41).

Now, it is evident that such as these have no chance
for redemption,' no matter what may be done for them in
hope or by faith, for they will have sinned against life and
knowledge, and are, therefore, worthy of damnation. It is
nowhere revealed that such as these will ever be forgiven,
although we are informed that all of God's judgments are
not given unto men.

ETERNAL LIFE AND SALVATION 551

There is no other means of salvation revealed or given
to the children of men except that offered by the Son of
God, and those who reject this, whether before or after
they have received it in part, cannot be saved, because they
rejected the means of their redemption and salvation. Not
so with those to whom Christ went to deliver the gospel
when his body lay in the tomb; they were disobedient to the
message of Noah, which was a warning to them to repent or
they should be destroyed by a flood. We are not told to
what extent the gospel of Christ, in its fulness, was pro-
claimed to them," but are left to suppose that the message
of Noah was not the fulness of the gospel, but a cry of re-
pentance from sin that they might escape destruction by the
flood. They hardened their hearts against Noah's message,
and would not receive it, and were punished for this diso-
bedience in their destruction by the flood; thus in part pay-
ing the penalties for their disobedience; but not having re-
ceived the light they could not be condemned as those spoken
of in 9th Nephi, who had all the commandments of God
given unto them.

Therefore, Jesus went with his message to their spirits
in prison and proclaimed liberty and deliverance to them
through their obedience in the spirit world, that the work
might be done for them in the flesh, and they be judged ac-
cording to men in the flesh, and live according to God in the
spirit. So there is no conflict in these scriptures. Of course,
there is a difference between those who receive the light of
the gospel and the testimony of Jesus Christ and afterwards
rebel against that light and reject it, thereby putting Christ
to an open shame, and crucifying him, and those who are
referred to by Alma: "Therefore the wicked remain as
though there had been no redemption made." These are
not under as great a condemnation as those who have re-
ceived it and rejected it; but so long as they remain unre-
pentant and wicked, there is no redemption for them any

552 GOSPEL DOCTRINE

more than for the others; but it is possible that these may
repent in the spirit world.

In relation to the deliverance of spirits from their prison
house, of course, we believe that can only be done after the
gospel has been preached to them in the spirit, and they
have accepted the same, and the work necessary to their re-
demption by the living be done for them. That this work
may be hastened so that all who believe in the spirit world
may receive the benefit of deliverance, it is revealed that the
great work of the Millennium shall be the work in the tem-
ples for the redemption of the dead; and then we hope to
enjoy the benefits of revelation through the Urim and
Thummim, or by such means as the Lord may reveal con-
cerning those for whom the work shall be done, so that we
may not work by chance, or by faith alone, without knowl-
edge, but with the actual knowledge revealed unto us. It
stands to reason that, while the gospel may be preached unto
all, the good and the. bad, or rather to those who would
repent and to those who would not repent in the spirit
world, the same as it is here, redemption will only come to
those who repent and obey. There is, no doubt, great leni-
ency given to people who are anxious to do the work for
their dead, and in some instances, very unworthy people may
have the work done for them ; it does not follow, however,
that they will receive any benefit therefrom, and the correct
thing is to do the work only for those of whom we have the
testimony that they will receive it. However, we are dis-
posed to give the benefit of the doubt to the dead, as it is
better to do the work for many who are unworthy than to
neglect one who is worthy. Now, we know in part and see
in part, but we steadfastly look forward to the time when
that which is perfect will come. We are left largely to our
own agency here, to exercise our own intelligence and to
receive all the light that is revealed so far as we are capable
of receiving it, and only those who seek the light, and desire

ETERNAL LIFE AND SALVATION 553

it, are likely to find it. — Improvement Era, Vol. 5, Decem-
ber, 1901, pp. 145-7.

Nature of Death. God has given laws to govern all
his works, and especially has he given laws to govern his
people, who are his sons and daughters. We have come to
sojourn in the flesh, to obtain tabernacles for our immortal
spirits ; or, in other words, we have come for the purpose of
accomplishing a work like that which was accomplished by
the Lord Jesus Christ. The object of our earthly existence
is that we may have a fulness of joy, and that we may be-
come the sons and daughters of God, in the fullest sense of
the word, being heirs of God and joint heirs with Jesus
Christ, to be kings and priests unto God, to inherit glory,
dominion, exaltation, thrones and every power and attri-
bute developed and possessed by our heavenly Father. This
is the object of our being on this earth. In order to at-
tain unto this exalted position, it is necessary that we go
through this mortal experience, or probation, by which we
may prove ourselves worthy, through the aid of our elder
Brother, Jesus. The spirit, without the body is not perfect.
It is not capacitated, without the body, to possess a fulness
of the glory of God, and therefore it cannot, without the
body, fulfil its destiny. We are foreordained to become con-
formed to the likeness of the Lord Jesus Christ; and in
order that we may become like unto him, we must follow
in his footsteps, even until we sanctify ourselves by the law
of truth and righteousness. This is the law of the celestial
kingdom, and when we die, its power will bring us forth in
the morning of the first resurrection, clothed with glory, im-
mortality and eternal lives. Unless we do keep the law that
God has given unto us in the flesh, which we have the priv-
ilege of receiving and understanding, we cannot be quick-
ened by its glory, neither can we receive the fulness thereof,
and the exaltation of the celestial kingdom.

"There is a law, irrevocably decreed in heaven before

554 GOSPEL DOCTRINE

the foundations of the world, upon which all blessings are
predicated; and when we obtain any blessing from God, it
is by obedience to that law upon which it is predicated." —
(Doc and Cov. 130:20.)

We must, therefore, learn the laws of heaven, which
are the laws of the gospel, live and obey them with all our
hearts, and in faith abide in them, perfecting ourselves
thereby, in order to receive the fulness of the glory of that
kingdom. * * *

While we are in mortality we are clogged, and we see
as through a glass darkly, we see only in part, and it is dif-
ficult for us to comprehend the smallest things with which
we are associated. But when we put on immortality, our con-
dition will be very different, for we ascend into an enlarged
sphere; although we shall not become perfect immediately
after our departure from the body, for the spirit without
the body is not perfect, and the body without the spirit is
dead. The disembodied spirit during the interval of the
death of the body and its resurrection from the grave is
not perfect, hence it is not prepared to enter into the ex-
altation of the celestial kingdom ; but it has the privilege
of soaring in the midst of immortal beings, and of enjoy-
ing, to a certain extent, the presence of God, not the fulness
of his glory, not the fulness of the reward which we are seek-
ing and which we are destined to receive, if found faithful
to the law of the celestial kingdom, but only in part.

The righteous spirit that departs from this earth is as-
signed its place in the Paradise of God; it has its priv-
ileges and honors which are in point of excellency, far above
and beyond human comprehension ; and in this sphere of ac-
tion, enjoying this partial reward for its righteous conduct
on the earth, it continues its labors, and in this respect is
very different from the state of the body from which it is
released. For while the body sleeps and decays, the spirit
receives a new birth ; to it the portals of life are opened. It

ETERNAL LIFE AND SALVATION 555

is born again into the presence of God. The spirit of our
beloved sister in taking its departure from this world is born
again into the spirit world, returning there from the mis-
sion it had been performing in this state of probation, hav-
ing been absent a few years from father, mother, kindred,
friends, neighbors, and from all that was dear; it has re-
turned nearer to the home-circle, to old associations and
scenes, much in the same way as a man who comes home
from a foreign mission, to join again his family and friends
and enjoy the pleasures and comforts of home.

This is the condition of her whose remains now lie be-
fore us, and of every one who has been faithful to virtue and
purity, while" traveling here below; but more especially of
those who while here had the privilege of obeying the gos-
pel, and who lived true and faithful to its covenants. In-
stead of continuing here among the things of time, sur-
rounded as we are with the weaknesses of a fallen world,
and subject to earthly cares and sorrows, they are freed from
them to enter a state of joy, glory and exaltation ; not a ful-
ness of any one of them, but to await the morning of the res-
urrection of the just, to come forth from the grave to redeem
the body, and to be reunited with it, and thus become a liv-
ing soul, an immortal being never more to die. Having ac-
complished its work, having gone through its earthly pro-
bation, and having fulfilled its mission here below, it is then
prepared for the knowledge and glory and exaltation of the
celestial kingdom. This Jesus did ; and he is our forerunner,
he is our exemplar. The path which he marked out we have
to walk in, if we ever expect to dwell, and be crowned with
him in his kingdom. We must obey and put our trust in
him, knowing that he is the Savior of the world.

What reason have we to mourn? None, except that
we are deprived for a few days of the society of one whom
we love. And if we prove faithful while in the flesh we will
soon follow, and be glad that we had the privilege of passing

556 GOSPEL DOCTRINE

through mortality, and that we lived in a day in which the
fulness of the everlasting gospel was preached, through
which we will be exalted, for there is no exaltation but
through obedience to law. Every blessing, privilege, glory,
or exaltation is obtained only through obedience to the law
upon which the same is promised. If we will abide the law,
we shall receive the reward; but we can receive it on no
other ground. Then let us rejoice in the truth, in the resr
toration of the priesthood — that power delegated to man, by
virtue of which the Lord sanctions in the heavens what man
does upon the earth. The Lord has taught us the ordinances
of the gospel by which we may perfect our exaltation in
his kingdom. We are not living as the heathen, without law ;
that which is necessary for our exaltation has been revealed.
Our duty, therefore, is to obey the laws, then we shall re-
ceive our reward, no matter whether we are cut down in
childhood, in manhood or old age ; it is all the same, so long
*as we are living up to the light we possess we shall not be
shorn of any blessing, nor deprived of any privilege; for
there is a time after this mortal life, and there is a way pro-
vided by which we may fulfil the measure of our creation
and destiny, and accomplish the. whole great work that we
have been sent to do, although it may reach far into the fu-
ture before we fully accomplish it.

Jesus had not finished his work when his body was slain,
neither did he finish it after his resurrection from the dead,
although he had accomplished the purpose for which he
then came to the earth, he had not fulfilled all his work.
And when will he? Not until he has redeemed and saved
every son and daughter of our father Adam that has or ever
will be born upon this earth to the end of time, except the
sons of perdition. That is his mission. We will not finish
our work until we have saved ourselves, and then not until
we shall have saved all depending upon us; for we are to
become saviors upon Monut Zion, as well as Christ. We are

ETERNAL LIFE AND SALVATION 557

called to this mission. The dead are not perfect without us,
neither are we without them. We have a mission to perform
for and in their behalf; we have a certain work to do in
order to liberate those who, because of their ignorance and
the unfavorable circumstances in which they were placed
while here, are unprepared for eternal life ; we have to open
the door for them, by performing ordinances which they
cannot perform for themselves, and which are essential to
their release from the "prison-house," to come forth and
live according to God in the spirit, and be judged according
to man in the flesh.

The Prophet Joseph Smith has said that this is one of
the most important duties that devolves upon the Latter-day
Saints. And why? Because this is the dispensation of the
fulness of times, which will usher in the millennial reign,
and in which all things spoken by the mouths of holy proph-
ets, since the world began, must be fulfilled, and all things
united, both which are in heaven and in the earth. We
have that work to do; or, at least all we can of it, leav-
ing the balance to our children, in whose hearts we should
instil the importance of this work, rearing them in the love
of the truth and in the knowledge of these principles, so
that when we pass away, having done all we can do, they
will then take up the labor and continue it until it is con-
summated.

May the Lord bless this bereaved family and comfort
them in their deprivation. Those who die in the Lord shall
not taste of death. When Adam partook of the forbidden
fruit he was cast out from the presence of God into outer
darkness ; that is, he was shut out from the presence of his
glory and the privilege of his society, which was spiritual
death. This was the first death; this indeed was death; for
he was shut out from the presence of God; and ever since,
Adam's posterity have been suffering the penalty of this
spiritual death, which is banishment from his presence and

558 GOSPEL DOCTRINE

the society of holy beings. This first death will also be the
second death. Now we look upon the mortal remains of our
departed sister ; her immortal part has gone. Where ? Into
outer darkness? — banished from the presence of God? No,
but born again into his presence, restored, or born from
death to life, to immortality and to joy in his presence. This
is not death, then; and this is true in relation to all Saints
who die in the Lord and the covenant of the gospel. They
return from the midst of death to life, where death has no
power.

There is no death except to those who die in sin, with-
out the sure and steadfast hope of the resurrection of the
just. There is no death where we continue in the knowledge
of the truth and have hope of a glorious resurrection. Life
and immortality are brought to light through the gospel;
hence, there is no death here; here is peaceful slumber, a
quiet rest for a little season, and then she will come forth
again to enjoy this tabernacle. If there is anything lacking
in regard to ordinances pertaining to the House of the Lord,
which may have been omitted or not reached, those require-
ments can be attended to for her. Here are her father
and mother, her brothers and sisters; they know the ordin-
ances necessary to be performed in order to secure every
benefit and blessing that it was possible for her to have re-
ceived in the flesh. These ordinances have been revealed
unto us for this very purpose, that we might be born into
the light from the midst of this darkness — from death
into life.

We live, then ; we do not die ; we do not anticipate death ;
but we anticipate life, immortality, glory, exaltation, and to
be quickened by the glory of the celestial kingdom, and re-
ceive of the same even a fulness. This is our destiny; this
is the exalted position to which we may attain, and there
is no power that can deprive or rob us of it, if we prove
faithful and true to the covenant of the gospel. — Funeral

ETERNAL LIFE AND SALVATION 559

sermon preached over the remains of Emma Wells, Salt Lake
City, April 11, 1878.— Journal of Discourses, Vol. 19, 1878,
pp. 258-265.

The Resurrection. Guided by the Spirit of the Lord
Jesus, by faith in God, in the testimony of his prophets and
in the scriptures, I accept the doctrine of the resurrection
with all my heart, and rejoice at its confirmation in nature
with the awakening of each returning spring. The Spirit
of God testifies to me, and has revealed to me, to my com-
plete personal satisfaction, that there is life after death,
and that the body which we lay down here will be reunited
with our spirits to become a perfect soul, capable of re-
ceiving a fulness of joy in the presence of God. — Improve-
ment Era, Vol. 16, 1912-1913, pp. 508-510.

The Resurrection. It is true all of us are clothed
with mortality, but our spirits existed long before they took
upon them this tabernacle that we now inhabit. When this
body dies, the spirit does not die. The spirit is an immor-
tal being, and when separated from the body takes its flight
to the place prepared for it, and there awaits the resurrec-
tion of the body, when the spirit will return again and
re-occupy this tabernacle which it occupied in this world.

This great and glorious principle of the resurrection is
no longer a theory, as some think, but it is an accomplished
fact which has been demonstrated beyond all successful con-
tradiction, doubt or controversy. Job, who lived before the
resurrection of Christ, possessing the spirit of prophecy,
looked forward to the time of the resurrection. He compre-
hended the fact. He understood the principles and knew
the power and design of God to bring it to pass, and pre-
dicted its accomplishment. He declares : "I know that my
Redeemer liveth, and that he shall stand at the latter day
upon the earth ;" he further says, "and though after my skin
worms destroy this body, yet in my flesh shall I see God"
(Job 19:26). He looked forward to something not yet

560 GOSPEL DOCTRINE

done, something which had never been done in this world
before his day. It was not accomplished till long after his
time. Having received the spirit of the gospel and of reve-
lation, he was enabled to look down into unborn time and see
his body which had mouldered and crumbled into dust
raised from the dead. What he saw by the eye of faith has
become actual history unto us, and we possess not only the
history of the fact but a knowledge by the testimony of the
Holy Ghost of its truth. We are not therefore situated as
Job was, we live in the latter times which are pregnant with
grand and glorious events, among the greatest of which is
this glorious principle of the resurrection of the dead, which
is no longer a mere prediction, a cherished hope, or a pro-
phetic promise, but a reality ; for long before our day it has
actually been accomplished. Christ himself burst the bar-
riers of the tomb, conquered death and the grave and came
forth "the first fruits of them that slept." But, says one,
how can we know that Jesus was put to death or resur-
rected ? We have plenty of evidence to show that Jesus was
crucified and resurrected. We have the testimony of his
disciples, and they produce irrefutable evidence that they
did see him crucified, and witnessed the wounds of the nails
and spear which he received on the cross. They also testify
that this body was laid away in a sepulchre wherein no man
had lain, and they rolled a great stone- to the door and de-
parted.

Now the chief priests and Pharisees were not satisfied
with the crucifixion and burial of our Lord and Savior;
they remembered that while living he had said that after
three days he would rise again, so they established a strong
guard to protect the sepulchre and set a seal upon the stone,
lest his disciples should come by night and steal away the
body and say unto the people, ''He is risen from the dead/'
and thus perpetrate a fraud upon the world.

Lo and behold ! by this act those unbelieving guards

ETERNAL LIFE AND SALVATION 561

became actual witnesses to the fact that a heavenly personage
came and rolled away the stone and that Jesus came forth.
The disciples witness and testify to the resurrection, and
their testimony can not be impeached. It therefore stands
good, and is true and faithful.

But is this the only evidence we have to depend on?
Have we nothing but the testimony of the ancient disciples
to rest our hopes upon? Thank God we have more. And
the additional evidence which we possess enables us to be-
come witnesses to the truth of the testimony of the
ancient disciples. We go to the Book of Mormon; it testi-
fies of the death and resurrection of Jesus Christ in plain
and unmistakable terms ; we may go to the book of Doctrine
and Covenants containing the revelations of this dispensa-
tion, and we shall find clear and well defined evidence there.
We have the testimony of the Prophet Joseph Smith, the
testimony of Oliver Cowdery, and the testimony of Sidney
Rigdon, that they saw the Lord Jesus — the same that was
crucified in Jerusalem — and that he revealed himself unto
them. Joseph and Sidney testify to it as follows:

"We, Joseph Smith, Jr., and Sidney Rigdon, being in
the Spirit on the sixteenth of February, in the year of our
Lord, one thousand eight hundred and thirty-two, by the
power of the Spirit our eyes were opened and our under-
standings were enlightened, so as to understand the things
of God — even those things which were from the beginning
before the world was, which were ordained of the Father,
through his Only Begotten Son, who was in the bosom of the
Father, even from the beginning, of whom we bear record,
and the record which we bear is the fulness of the gospel of
Jesus Christ, who is the Son, whom we saw and with whom
we conversed in the heavenly vision" (Doc. and Cov. sec.
76:11-16).

They were called to be special witnesses of Jesus Christ
and his death and resurrection.

562 GOSPEL DOCTRINE

We have also the testimony of the ancient disciples
who lived on this continent of the crucifixion and resurrec-
tion. You will find their testimony recorded in the Book
of Mormon. The disciples who lived upon this continent
knew what transpired at Jerusalem ; the Lord showed them
these things. After his resurrection he manifested himself
to his disciples on this continent, and showed them the
wounds he had received on Calvary. They were convinced
that Jesus was the Christ and the Redeemer of the world.
They beheld him in the flesh and they bear witness of it,
and their testimony is true. We have the testimony of
many witnesses. We have the testimony of eleven special
witnesses to the divine authenticity of the Book of Mormon,
which book testifies of Christ's resurrection, containing as
it does the records of the ancient prophets and disciples of
Christ on this continent, thus confirming their testimonies.

Is this all the evidence we have? No. Joseph Smith
boldly declared to the world that if mankind" would sin-
cerely repent of their sins and be baptized by authority they
should not only receive a remission of their sins, but, by the
laying on of hands, they should receive the Holy Ghost, and
should know of the doctrine for themselves. Thus all who
obey the law and abide in the truth become witnesses of
this and" other equally great and precious truths. Today
there are thousands of Latter-day Saints living in Utah and
throughout the world who have attained to the possession
of these things, both men and women. If we witness by
our acts, and from our hearts, our determination to carry
out the mind and will of the Lord we shall have this double
assurance of a glorious resurrection, and be able to say as
the Prophet Job said — his was a glorious declaration — "For
I know that my Redeemer liveth, and that he shall [again]
stand at the latter day upon the earth ; and though after my
skin worms destroy this body, yet in my flesh shall I see
God; whom I shall see for myself, and mine eyes shall be-

ETERNAL LIFE AND SALVATION 563

hold, and not another; though my reins be consumed within
me" (Job 19:25,26). Thousands have received this testi-
mony and can witness unto God and testify from their hearts
that they know these things.

I bear my testimony, and surely it is of as much force
and effect, if it be true, as the testimony of Job, the testi-
monies of the disciples of Jerusalem, the disciples on this
continent, of Joseph Smith, or any other man who told the
truth. All are of equal force and binding on the world. If
no man had ever testified to these things upon the face of
the globe, I want to say as a servant of God, independent of
the testimonies of all men and of every book that has been
written, that I have received the witness of the Spirit in
my own heart, and I testify before God, angels and men,
without fear of the consequences, that I know that my Re-
deemer lives, and I shall see him face to face, and stand
with him in my resurrected body upon this earth, if I am
faithful ; for God has revealed this unto me. I have received
the witness, and I bear my testimony, and my testimnoy is
true.

The testimony of the Latter-day Saints is in addition to
and consonant with that of -the disciples of Jesus Christ who
lived at Jerusalem, those who lived on this continent, the
Prophet Joseph, Oliver, Sidney, and others, of our crucified
and risen Redeemer, because they received it not of them, but
by the same Spirit by which they received it. No man ever
received this testimony unless the Spirit of God revealed it
unto him.

We will see Brother Urie again. Sister Urie will meet
him on the other side of the grave. The spirit and the
body will be reunited. We shall see each other in the flesh,
in the same tabernacles that we have here while in mortal-
ity. Our tabernacles will be brought forth as they are laid
down, although there will be a restoration effected; every
organ, every limb that has been maimed, every deformity

564 GOSPEL DOCTRINE

caused by accident or in any other way, will be restored and
put right. Every limb and joint *hall be restored" to its
proper frame. We will know each other and enjoy each
other's society throughout the endless ages of eternity, if we
keep the law of God. It is for us to remain true and faith-
ful and keep our covenants, and to train our children up
in the paths of holiness, virtue and truth, in the principles
of the gospel, that we may with them be prepared to enjoy
the perfect and eternal day. — Discourse delivered at the fu-
neral services of James Urie, Sixteenth ward, Salt Lake City,
February 3, 1883. — Journal of Discourses, Vol. 24, pp.
75-82. *

On the Resurrection. I believe that as Christ arose
from the dead, so shall all the faithful arise. We shall all
see each other again. I know that Jesus is the Christ, that
after his death and burial he arose from the dead, and be-
came the first fruits of the resurrection. To all believers,
and to the Latter-day Saints especially, there is sweet com-
fort in this knowledge, and in the thought that through obe-
dience to the ordinances and principles of the gospel, which
Christ, our Savior, taught and enjoined upon the people and
his disciples, men shall be born again, redeemed from sin,
arise from the grave, and, like Jesus, return into the pres-
ence of the Father. Death is not the end. When we, sor-
rowing, lay away our loved ones in the grave, we have an
assurance based upon the life, words and resurrection of
Christ, that we shall again meet and shake hands and asso-
ciate with them in a better life, where sorrow and trouble
are ended, and where there is to be no more parting.

This knowledge is one of the greatest incentives that we
have to live right in this life, to pass through mortality, do-
ing and feeling and accomplishing good. The spirits of all
men, as soon as they depart from this mortal body, whether
they are good or evil, we are told in the Book of Mormon,
are taken home to that God who gave them life, where there

ETERNAL LIFE AND SALVATION 565

is a separation, a partial judgment, and the spirits of those
who are righteous are received into a state of happiness
which is called paradise, a state of rest, a state of peace,
where they expand in wisdom, where they have respite from
all their troubles, and where care and sorrow do not annoy.
The wicked, on the contrary, have no part nor portion in the
Spirit of the Lord, and they are cast into outer darkness,
being led captive, because of their own iniquity, by the evil
one. And in this space between death and the resurrection
of the body, the two classes of souls remain, in happiness or
in misery, until the time which is appointed of God that the
dead shall come forth and be reunited both spirit and body,
and be brought to stand before God, and be judged accord-
ing to their works. This is the final judgment.

Where a man has obeyed the principles of the gospel,
used his influence for good, injured no soul, loved righteous-
ness, and despised wrong doing, laying down his body to the
rest of the righteous in the grave, I feel and know that, in
addition to the spirit's promised state of peace and rest in
paradise, there will be a glorious reunion of body and spirit,
a bright awakening for him in the resurrection, and a fu-
ture beyond, full of happiness. When this time shall come,
none but God knoweth, but we do know that all men shall
come forth from the dead.

Now, I know these statements to be true ; I know them
to be true by the thrill of the inspiration of God which
fills my entire being with this knowledge. To me they are
consistent with God's wisdom and with his holy purposes.
We have the testimony of Christ, the testimony of the
prophets, the whisperings of the Holy Spirit, and with
these evidences, I cannot help but believe, and know that
there is a resurrection of the dead, a literal, actual resur-
rection of the body. I cannot believe that a wise and mer-
ciful God would create a man like our friend and brother,
upright, honorable, honest in all his dealings and in his

566 GOSPEL DOCTRINE

life, only to live a few years, then to pass away forever, to
be known no more. As Jesus arose from the dead so will
he, and all the innocent and righteous, arise. The elements
which compose this temporal body will not perish, will not
cease to exist, but in the day of the resurrection these ele-
ments will come together again, bone to bone, and flesh to
flesh. The body will come forth as it is laid to rest, for there
is no growth nor development in the grave. As it is laid
down, so will it arise, and changes to perfection will come by
the law of restitution. — Improvement Era, Vol. 7, June,
1914, p. 619.

Resurrection and Final Judgment. When the
spirit leaves the body, it returns, says the prophet, imme-
diately to God, to be assigned to its place, either to as-
sociate with the good and the noble ones who have lived in
the paradise of God, or to be confined in the "prison-house"
to await the resurrection of the body from the grave. There-
fore we know that Brother Clayton has gone to God, gone
to receive the partial judgment of the Almighty which per-
tains to the period intervening between the death of the
body and the resurrection of the body, or the separation of
the spirit from the body and their uniting together again.
This judgment is passed upon the spirit alone. But there
will come a time, which will be after the resurrection, when
the body and spirit shall be reunited, when the final judg-
ment will be passed on every man! This is in accordance
with the vision of John the Revelator :

"And I saw the dead, small and great, stand before
God; and the books were opened; and another book was
opened, which is the book of life; and the dead were judged
out of those things which were written in the books, accord-
ing to their works.

"And the sea gave up the dead which were in it; and
death and hell delivered up the dead which were in them:
* * * and death and hell were cast into the lake of fire.
This is the second death.

ETERNAL LIFE AND SALVATION 567

"And whosoever was not found written in the book
of life was cast into the lake of fire" (Rev. 20: 12-15).

That is the final judgment, which we will all receive
after we have performed this our earthly mission.

The Savior did not finish his work when he expired on
the cross, when he cried out, "It is finished. " He, in using
those words, had no reference to his great mission to the
earth, but merely to the agonies which he suffered. The
Christian world, I know, say he alluded to the great work
of redemption. This, however, is a great mistake, and is
indicative of the extent of their knowledge of the plan of
life and salvation. I say he referred merely to the agonies
of death, and the sufferings he felt for the wickedness of
men who would go so far as to crucify their Redeemer. It
was this feeling and this alone, that prompted him to cry
out in the agony of his soul, "It is finished," and then he
expired.

But his work was not completed ; it was in fact only
begun. If he had stopped here instead of his being the
Savior of the world, he, as well as all mankind, would have
perished irredeemably, never to have come forth out of the
grave; for it was designed from the beginning that he
should be the first fruits of them that slept; it was part of
the great plan that he should burst the band's of death and
gain the victory over the grave. If, therefore, his mission
had ceased when he gave up the ghost, the world would
have slumbered in the dust in interminable death, never to
have risen to live again. It was but a small part of the mis-
sion of the Savior that was performed when he suffered
death; it was indeed the lesser part; the great had yet to
be done.

It was in his resurrection from the tomb, in his coming
forth from death unto life, in uniting again the spirit and
the body that he might become a living soul ; and when this
was done, then he was prepared to return to the Father,

568 GOSPEL DOCTRINE

And all this was in strict accordance with the great plan of
salvation. For even Christ himself, though without sin, was
required to observe the outward ordinance of baptism, in
order to fulfil all righteousness.

So, after his resurrection from the dead he could return
to the Father, there to receive the welcome plaudit, Well
done ; you have done your work, you have accomplished your
mission, you have wrought out salvation for all the children
of Adam ; you have redeemed all men from the grave ; and
through their obedience to the ordinances of the gospel
which you have established, they can also be redeemed from
the spiritual death, again to be brought back into our pres-
ence, to partake of glory, exaltation and eternal life with
us.

And so it will be when we come forth out of the grave,
when the trump shall sound, and these our bodies shall rise
and our spirits shall enter into them again, and they shall
become living souls no more to be dissolved or separated,
but to become inseparable, immortal, eternal.

Then we shall stand before the bar of God to be judged.
So says the Bible, so says the Book of Mormon, and so say
the revelations which have come direct to us through the
Prophet Joseph Smith. And then those who have not been
subject and obedient to the celestial law will not be quick-
ened by the celestial glory. And those who have not been
subject and obedient to the terrestrial law will not be quick-
ened by the terrestrial glory. And those who have not been
subject and obedient to the telestial law, will not be quick-
ened by a telestial glory ; but they will have a kingdom with-
out glory.

The sons of perdition, men who once were in posses-
sion of the light and truth, but who turned away from f hem
and denied the Lord, putting him to an open shame, as did
the Jews when they crucified him and said, "His blood be
on us, and on our children ;" men who consent, against light

ETERNAL LIFE AND SALVATION 569

and knowledge, to the shedding of innocent blood, it will be
said unto them, "Depart from me, ye cursed" (Matt. 25 :41).
I never knew you; depart into the second death, even ban-
ishment from the presence of God for ever and ever, where
the worm dieth not and the fire is not quenched, from
whence there is no redemption, neither in time nor in eter-
nity. Herein is the difference between the second and the
first death, herein man became spiritually dead ; for from the
first death he may be redeemed by the blood of Christ,
through obedience to the laws and ordinances of the gospel,
but from the second there is no redemption at all.

We read in the Book of Doctrine and Covenants, that
the devil tempted Adam, and he partook of the forbidden
fruit, and transgressed the commandment, wherein he be-
came subject to the will of the devil because he yielded unto
temptation, and because of this transgression he became
"spiritually dead, which is the first death, even that same
death, which is the last death, which is spiritual, which shall
be pronounced upon the wicked when I shall say — Depart,
ye cursed!" (Doc. and Cov. 29:41.)

But who will receive such punishment? Only those
who deserve it, those who commit the unpardonable sin.

Then there is the banishment of the transgressor (not
the sons of perdition) into the prison house, a place of pun-
ishment, with no exaltation, no increase, no dominion, no
power, whose inhabitants after their redemption may become
servants of them that have obeyed the laws of God and kept
the faith. That will be the punishment of such as reject the
truth, but sin not unto death. — Discourse delivered at funeral
of William Clayton, in Seventeenth ward meetinghouse,
Salt Lake City, December 7, 1879. — Journal of Discourses,
Vol. 21, 1881, pp. 9-13.

Condition of Children in Heaven. If we have re-
ceived the testimony of the spirit of truth in our souls we
know that all is well with our little children who pass away,

570 GOSPEL DOCTRINE

that we could not, if we would, better their condition;
and least of all would it better their condition if we
could call them back here, for the reason that so long as
man is in the world, clothed with mortality, surrounded by
the evils that are in the world, he runs chances and is sub-
ject to risks, and there are responsibilities resting upon him
which may prove fatal to his future prosperity, happiness
and exaltation. It is only those who are thoroughly and
firmly grounded in the truth, who are established in the prin-
ciples of life, that will be able to certainly claim the reward
of the faithful, and an exaltation in the presence of the
Father. As soon as any man turns away from the truth
that binds him to God, that moment he is in danger, and
may fall.

But, with little children who are taken away in infancy
and innocence before they have reached the years of account-
ability, and are not capable of committing sin, the gospel re-
veals to us the fact that they are redeemed, and Satan has no
power over them. Neither has death any power over them.
They are redeemed by the blood of Christ, and they are
saved just as surely as death has come into the" world
through the fall of our first parents. It is further written
that Satan has no power over men or women, except that
power which he gains over them in this world. In other
words, none of the children of the Father who are redeemed
through obedience, faith, repentance, and baptism for the
remission of sins, and who live in that redeemed condition,
and die in that condition are subject to Satan. Therefore
he has no power over them. They are absolutely beyond his
reach, just as little children are who die without sin. To
my mind this is a consolation and a glorious truth that my
soul delights in. I am grateful to my heavenly Father that
he has revealed it unto me, for it affords a consolation that
nothing else can give, and it brings a joy to my spirit
that nothing can take away, except the consciousness on my

ETERNAL LIFE AND SALVATION 571

part of having sinned and transgressed against light and
knowledge which I may have possessed.

Under these circumstances, our beloved friends who
are now deprived of their little one, have great cause for
joy and rejoicing, even in the midst of the deep sorrow
that they feel at the loss of their little one for a time. They
know he is all right ; they have the assurance that their little
one has passed away without sin. Such children are in the
bosom of the Father. They will inherit their glory and their
exaltation, and they will not be deprived of the blessings
that belong to them ; for, in the economy of heaven, and in
the wisdom of the Father, who doeth all things well, those
who are cut down as little children are, without any respon-
sibility for their taking off, they, themselves, not having the
intelligence and wisdom to take care of themselves and to
understand the laws of life, and in the wisdom and mercy
and economy of God our heavenly Father, all that could have
been obtained and enjoyed by them if they had been per-
mitted to live in the flesh will be provided for them here-
after. They will lose nothing by being taken away from us
in this way.

This is a consolation to me. Joseph Smith, the prophet,
is the author under God of these principles. He was in
touch with the heavens. God revealed himself unto him,
and made known unto him the principles that lie before us,
and which are comprised in the everlasting gospel ; Joseph
Smith declared that the mother who laid down her little
child, being deprived of the privilege, the joy, and the satis-
faction of bringing it up to manhood or womanhood in this
world, would, after the resurrection, have all the joy, satis-
faction and pleasure, and even more than it would have been
possible to have had in mortality, in seeing her child grow
to the full measure of the stature of its spirit. If this be
true, and I believe it, what a consolation it is. Jesus Christ
was. the Son of God before he came into the world, yet he

572 GOSPEL DOCTRINE

came as an infant, grew and developed into manhood, and
when his spirit departed from its tabernacle it went to pro-
claim the gospel to the spirits which were imprisoned, pos-
sessing all the intelligence, powers and faculties which it
had in the flesh, except the possession of the body, wherein
he became absolutely like unto God. And so I believe it
is with all men that come into the world. Every spirit that
comes to this earth to take upon it a tabernacle is a son or a
daughter of God, and possesses all the intelligence and all
the attributes that any son or daughter can enjoy either in
the spirit world or in this world, except that in the spirit and
separated from the body, they lacked just the tabernacle of
being like God the Father. It is said that God is a spirit,
and they who worship him must worship him in spirit and
in truth. But he is a spirit, possessing the tabernacle of
flesh and bones, as tangible as a man's, and therefore to be
like God and Jesus all men must have a body. It matters
not whether these tabernacles mature in this world, or have
to wait and mature in the world to come, according to the
word of the Prophet Joseph Smith ; the body will develop,
either in time or in eternity, to the full stature of the spirit,
and when the mother is deprived of the pleasure and joy of
rearing her babe to manhood or to womanhood in this life
through the hand of death, that privilege will be renewed to
her hereafter, and she will enjoy it to a fuller fruition than
it would be possible for her to do here. When she does it,
there, it will be with the certain knowledge that the results
will be without failure. Whereas, here, the results are un-
known until after we have passed the test.

With these thoughts in my mind, I take consolation in
the fact that I shall meet my children who have passed be-
hind the veil ; I have lost a number, and I have felt all that a
parent can feel, I think, in the loss of my children. I have
felt it keenly, for I love children, and I am particularly fond
of the little ones, but I feel thankful to God for the knowl-

ETERNAL LIFE AND SALVATION 573

edge of these principles, because now I have every confidence
in his word and in his promise that I will possess in the
future all that belongs to me, and my joy will be full. I
will not be deprived of any privilege or any blessing that I
am worthy of, and that may be properly entrusted to me.
But every gift, and every blessing that it is possible for me
to become worthy of I shall possess, either in time or in
eternity, and it will matter not, so that I acknowledge the
hand of God in all these things, and say in my heart, "the
Lord giveth and the Lord taketh away, blessed be the name
of the Lord.'' This is the way we should feel with regard
to our children, or our relatives, or friends, or in whatever
vicissitudes we may be called to pass through.

Now, the beauty of this to me is that I know these
things, that I am satisfied of them, and so long as I possess
the spirit of truth I have no fear that any doubt or uncer-
tainty will ever enter my mind in regard to these principles.
There is only one course that I might pursue which would
bring about mistrust and fear, trembling and doubt, in rela-
tion to these things. And that would be for me to deny
the truth and cut myself loose from the guiding influences
of the Holy Spirit, for I do know that so long as a man is
under the guiding influence of the Spirit of God he never
can deny these truths which God has revealed to him, and in
that condition he is not subject to the power of Satan. It is
only when he transgresses the law of God, and dismisses
these principles from his thoughts, that he becomes subject
to the powers of evil, that his mind becomes darkened, and
he begins to doubt and fear. But, let a man have the Spirit
of God in his heart, that Spirit which reveals the things of
God unto men, and makes them to know the truth as God
himself knows it, he never can doubt those things which
God has revealed. Therefore, I rejoice in these truths, for I
know they are true.

I know that Brother Heber and his companion, if they

574 GOSPEL DOCTRINE

are faithful to the light they possess, and to the covenants
that they have entered into before the Lord, will just as as-
suredly inherit the joy and the possession and the glory of
this little one that has now departed, as that they see its
little form lying here before them this moment. Everyone
who has the spirit of truth in his soul must feel this to be
true. — Remarks at the funeral of Daniel Wells Grant, child
of Heber J. Grant, and Emily Wells Grant, in family resi-
dence, Salt Lake City, March 12, 1895. — Young Woman's
Journal Vol. 6, pp. 369-374.

Status of Children in the Resurrection. The spir-
its of our children are immortal before they come to us, and
their spirits, after bodily death, are like they were before
they came. They are as they would have appeared if they
had lived in the flesh, to grow to maturity, or to develop their
physical bodies to the full stature of their spirits. If you see
one of your children that has passed away it may appear to
you in the form in which you would recognize it, the form
of childhood; but if it came to you as a messenger bearing
some important truth, it would perhaps came as the spirit
of Bishop Edward Hunter's son (who died when a little
child) came to him, in the stature of full-grown manhood,
and revealed himself to his father, and said: "I am your
son."

Bishop Hunter did not understand it. He went to my
father and said : "Hyrum, what does that mean ? I buried
my son — when only a little boy, but he has come to me as
a full-grown man — a noble, glorious young man, and de-
clared himself my son. What does it mean?"

Father (Hyrum Smith the Patriarch) told him that the
Spirit of Jesus Christ was full grown before he was born
into the world ; and so our children were full grown and pos-
sessed their full stature in the spirit, before they entered
mortality, the same stature that they will possess afer they
have passed away from mortality, and as they will also ap-

ETERNAL LIFE AND SALVATION 575

pear after the resurrection, when they shall have completed
their mission.

Joseph Smith taught the doctrine that the infant child
that was laid away in death would come up in the resurrec-
tion as a child; and pointing to the mother of a lifeless
child, he said to her: "You will have the joy, the pleasure,
and satisfaction of nurturing this child, after its resurrec-
tion, until it reaches the full stature of its spirit." There
is restitution, there is growth, there is development, after
the resurrection from death. I love this truth. It speaks
volumes of happiness, of joy and gratitude to my soul.
Thank the Lord he has revealed these principles to us.

In 1854, I met with my aunt, the wife of my uncle, Don
Carlos Smith, who was the mother of that little girl that
Joseph Smith, the Prophet, was speaking about when he
told the mother that she should have the joy, the pleasure,
and the satisfaction of rearing that child, after the resurrec-
tion, until it reached the full stature of its spirit ; and that
it would be a far greater joy than she could possibly have
in mortality, because she would be free from the sorrow
and fear and disabilities of mortal life, and she would know
more than she could know in this life. I met that widow,
the mother of that child, and she told me this circumstance
and bore testimony to me that this was what the Prophet
Joseph Smith said when he was speaking at the funeral of
her little daughter.

One day I was conversing with a brother-in-law of
mine, Lorin Walker, who married my oldest sister. In the
course of the conversation he happened to mention that he
was present at the funeral of my cousin Sophronia, and that
he heard the Prophet Joseph Smith declare the very words
that Aunt Agnes had told me.

I said to him, "Lorin, what did the Prophet say?" and
he repeated, as nearly as he could remember, what the
Prophet Joseph said in relation to little children. The body

576 GOSPEL DOCTRINE

remains undeveloped in the grave, but the spirit returns to
God who gave it. Afterwards, in the resurrection, the spirit
and body will be reunited; the body will develop and grow
to the full stature of the spirit; and the resurrected soul
will go on to perfection. So I had the statement of two wit-
nesses who heard this doctrine announced by the Prophet
Joseph Smith, the source of intelligence.

Eventually I was in conversation with Sister M. Isa-
bella Home. She began to relate to me the circumtsance
of her being present at the funeral that I refer to, when
Joseph spoke of the death of little children, their resurrec-
tion, as little children, and of the glory, and honor, and
joy, and happiness the mother would have in rearing her
little children in the resurrection to the full stature of their
spirits. "Well/ 5 she said, "I heard Joseph say that. I was
at that funeral." Sister Isabella Home told me this.

Then I said to her: "Why haven't you spoken about
it before? How is it you have kept it to yourself all these
long years? Why haven't you let the Church know some-
thing about this declaration of the Prophet?"

She replied : "I did not know whether it was my duty
to do so, or whether it would be proper or not."

I said: "Who else was there?"

"My husband was there."

"Does he remember it?"

"Yes, he remembers it."

"Well, will you and Brother Home give me an affidavit
in writing, stating the fact, and let it be sworn to?"

She said, "With the greatest of pleasure."

So I have the testimony in affidavit form of Brother
and Sister Home, in addition to the testimony of my aunt,
and the testimony of my brother-in-law, in relation to the
Prophet Joseph's remarks' at that funeral.

Just a little while later, to my joy and satisfaction, the
first man I ever heard mention it in public was Franklin D.

ETERNAL LIFE AND SALVATION S77

Richards; and when he spoke of it, I felt in my soul: the
truth has come out. The truth will prevail. It is mighty,
and it will live; for there is no power that can destroy it.
Presidents Woodruff and Cannon approved of the doctrine
and after that I preached it.

It is a good thing for us not to attempt to advance new
doctrine, or new and advanced thought in relation to princi-
ples and doctrines pertaining to, or presumed to pertain to,
the gospel of Jesus Christ, without weighing it carefully,
with the experience of years, before you attempt to make a
doctrinal test and to advance it to the people of the Lord.
There is so much simple truth, necessary to be understood,
that has been revealed to us in the gospel that it is extreme
folly in us to attempt to go beyond the truth that has been
revealed, until we have mastered and can comprehend the
truth that we have. There is a great deal within our reach
that we have not yet mastered.— Improvement Era, Vol. 21,
May, 1918, pp.567-573.

Address at Funeral Services of Mary A. Freeze.
There does -not seem to be much left to be said. I endorse
heartily and fully every kindly sentiment that I have heard
expressed here this afternoon with reference to our departed
sister. I have known her, as a worker in the Church, for a
goodly number of years, and have had the pleasure of fre-
quently meeting her in the various capacities in which she
has labored in the Church, and in every instance I have been
more and more impressed with the pure character and spirit
of the woman. There was a calmness about her appear-
ance, her conversation, and her conduct that seemed to
indicate a well-matured character and a well-established
principle of life. There seems nothing I have ever perceived
in her that appeared flighty, unsettled, or unstable, but in
everything, her life indicated a life of stability, of reliability
and fidelity to the Lord and to his covenants.

After hearing the many good things that have been said

38

578 GOSPEL DOCTRINE

(yet, as Brother Joseph E. Taylor has remarked, "not half
has been told") in relation to the good life and labors of our
dear sister, it makes my mind revert to the blessed hopes
that are inspired in our souls by and through our faith in the
gospel of our Lord Jesus Christ — the hope that that gospel
inspires in our souls that we are following in the footsteps of
our Redeemer and that every man and woman following in
his footsteps will become like him, will enjoy the blessed priv-
ileges which he enjoyed, will pass through the varied ordeals
through which he passed, and will eventually land at the same
goal and will be blessed with the same privileges, and power
and glory, and exaltation that he, himself, vindicated, proved
and fulfilled in his life and death and resurrection from
death to life again. I cannot conceive of any more desir-
able thing than is vouchsafed to us in the gospel of Jesus
Christ — that though we die, yet we shall live again, and
though we die and dissolve into the native elements of
which our tabernacles are composed, yet these elements
will again be restored to each other and reorganized, and
we will become again living souls just as the Savior did
before us ; and his having done so has made it possible for
all the rest of us. What can there be more joyous to
think of than the fact that Brother Freeze, who loved his
wife and whom she loved, to whom he was true and who
was true to him all her days of association with him as wife
and mother, will have the privilege of coming up on the
morning of the first resurrection clothed with immortality
and eternal life, and resume the relationship that existed
between them in this life, the relationship of husband and
wife, father and mother, parents of their children, having
laid the foundation for eternal glory and eternal exaltation
in the kingdom of God ! Life without this hope would seem
to me in vain. And yet there is nothing that I have ever
discovered in the world, except the gospel of Jesus Christ,
that gives this assurance. Nothing has ever pointed it out

ETERNAL LIFE AND SALVATION 579

in a tangible way except the gospel of Jesus Christ. Jesus
Christ has laid this foundation, has taught this principle and
this truth, and has uttered that memorable sentiment that
"He that believeth in me, though he were dead, yet shall he
live; and whosoever liveth and believeth in me shall never
die" (John 11:25,26).

Now, to me this explains the sentiment expressed by
Brother Joseph E. Taylor when he said he did not feel the
presence of death when he went to visit her. Do you feel
the presence of death here? He did not feel it then. Just
prior to the departure of her spirit, there was no element
of death there. The element of dissolution — the separation
of the spiritual from the temporal, of the immortal from the
mortal was visible, but in the presence of the Spirit of the
Lord, and with the hope inspired in the gospel of the Son of
God, that "He that believeth in me, though he were dead,
yet shall he live ; and whosoever liveth and believeth in
me shall never die," and in the knowledge of the fact that
every provision the Lord has given by which we may be pre-
pared to enjoy the fulness of these blessings has been ob-
served and entered into, believed and followed by this good
woman, what reason could there be under such circum-
stances, for thoughts of death? It was not death— but a
change from mortality to immortality, from death, in fact,
to life everlasting.

Now, I believe that if ever a soul in the world is en-
titled to the enjoyment or realization of that saying of the
Son of God this good woman is entitled to it ; for I believe,
according to her knowledge, she was true to every principle
by which she might fulfil the intent of it and by which she
may receive the verification of it in the world to come.

I do not feel that it would be proper or necessary for
me to occupy very much time, but while the brethren and
sisters were speaking, the thought naturally passed through
my mind — what will be her occupation in the world to come ?

580 GOSPEL DOCTRINE

What will she do there? We are told that she will not be
idle. She could not be idle. In God's plans, there is no
such thing as idleness. God is not pleased with the thought
of idleness. He is not idle, and there is no such thing as
inertia in the providences and in the purposes of God. We
are either growing and advancing, or are retrograding. We
are not stationary. We must grow. The principles of ever-
lasting growth and development tend to glory, to exaltation,
to happiness, and to a fulness of joy. What has she been do-
ing? She has been working in the temple, among other
things. She has been working, also, as a minister of life
among young women of the Church of Jesus Christ of Lat-
ter-day Saints. She has labored diligently and earnestly in
trying to persuade the daughters of Zion to come to a knowl-
edge of the truth as she possessed it. She seemed to be
thoroughly established in it. I have never discovered the
least symptom of any dubiety in her mind in reference to
the gospel of Jesus Christ. She has been laboring to bring
others of the daughters of Zion to the same standard of
knowledge, faith and understanding of the principles of the
gospel of Christ that she herself possessed, a ministering
angel and a mother in Israel, seeking the salvation of other
daughters and other mothers in Israel. What can you con-
ceive of grander than a calling like that? Then, as I said,
she has been at work in the temple. What for? Adminis-
tering ordinances that God has revealed are essential to the
salvation of the living and their preparation for greater ex-
altation and glory here and hereafter, and also for the re-
demption of- the dead. What can you think of greater than
this? To my mind, there isn't anything so great and so
glorious in this world as to labor for the salvation of the
living and for the redemption of the c.cad. We read of the
Savior going to preach the gospel to the spirits in prison,
when his body lay in the tomb. That was a part of
the great mission he had to perform. He was sent not only

ETERNAL LIFE AND SALVATION 581

to preach the gospel to those dwelling in mortality, but he
was foreordained and anointed of God to open the doors of
the prison house to those in bondage and to proclaim his
gospel to them.

I have always believed, and still do believe with all my
soul that such men as Peter and James and the twelve disci-
ples chosen of the Savior in his time, have bv^en engaged all
the. centuries that have passed since their martyrdom for
the testimony of Jesus Christ, in proclaiming liberty to the
captives in the spirit world and in opening their prison doors.
I do not believe that they could be employed in any greater
work. Their special calling and anointing of the Lord him-
self was to save the world, to proclaim libeity to the cap-
tives, and the opening of the prison doors to those who were
bound in chains of darkness, superstition, and ignorance. I
believe that the disciples who have passed away in this dis-
pensation — Joseph, the Prophet, and his brother Hyrum,
and Brigham and Heber, and Willard, and Daniel, and John,
and Wilford and all the rest of the prophets who have lived
in this dispensation, and who have been intimately associated
with the work of redemption and the other ordinances of
the gospel of the Son of God in this world, are preaching
that same gospel that they lived and preached here, to those
who are in darkness in the spirit world and who had not the
knowledge before they went. The gospel must be preached
to them. We are not perfect without them — they cannot be
perfect without us.

Now, among all these millions of spirits that have
lived in the earth and have passed away, from generation
to generation, since the beginning of the world, without
the knowledge of the gospel — among them you may
count that at least one-half are women. Who is going to
preach the gospel to the women ? Who is going to carry the
testimony of Jesus Christ to the hearts of the women who
have passed away without a knowledge of the 'gospel? Well,

582 GOSPEL DOCTRINE

to my mind, it is a simple thing. These good sisters who
have been set apart, ordained to the work, called to it, au-
thorized by the authority of the holy priesthood to minister
for their sex, in the House of God for the living and for the
dead, will be fully authorized and empowered to preach the
gospel and minister to the women while the elders and
prophets are preaching it to the men. The things we experi-
ence here are typical of the things of God, and the life be-
yond us. There is a great similarity between God's purposes
as manifested here and his purposes as carried out in his
presence and kingdom. Those who are authorized to
preach the gospel here and are appointed here to do that
work will not be idle after they have passed away, but will
continue to exercise the rights that they obtained here under
the priesthood of the Son of God to minister for the salva-
tion of those who have died without a knowledge of the
truth. Some of you will understand when I tell you that
some of these good women who have passed beyond have
actually been anointed queens and priestesses unto God and
unto their husbands, to continue their work and to be the
mothers of spirits in the world to come. The world does not
understand this — they cannot receive it — they do not know
what it means, and it is sometimes hard for those who ought
to be thoroughly imbued with the spirit of the gospel — even
for some of us, to comprehend, but it is true.

Now, may the Lord bless Brother Freeze. As Sister
Martha Tingey has said, Sister Freeez could never have
done the work she has done if it had not been for his sec-
onding her in her efforts. He consented to her partially
neglecting her home duties in order to labor in a broader
field for the salvation of others. But just here let me say
a word to you mothers. Oh, mothers, salvation, mercy, life
everlasting begin at home. "What profiteth it a man, though
he gain the whole world and lose his own soul?" What
would it profit me, though I should go out into the world and

ETERNAL LIFE AND SALVATION 583

win strangers to the fold of God and lose my own children?
Oh ! God, let me not lose my own. I can not afford to lose
mine, whom God has given to me and whom I am responsi-
ble for before the Lord, and who are dependent upon me
for guidance, for instruction, for proper influence. Father,
do not permit me to lose interest in my own, in trying to
save others. Charity begins at home. Life everlasting
should begin at home. I should feel very badly to be made to
realize, by and by, that- through my neglect of home,
while trying to save others, I had lost my own. I do not
want that. The Lord help me to save my own, so far as
one can help another. I realize I cannot save anybody, but
1 can teach them how to be saved. I can set an example
before my children how they can be saved, and it is my duty
to do that first. I ,owe it more to them than to anybody else
in the world. Then, when I have accomplished the work I
should do in my own home circle, let me extend my power
for good abroad just as far as I can.

My brethren and sisters, I know as I know I live that
Joseph Smith was and is and ever will be the instrument
chosen of God the eternal Father to lay the foundation of
the Church of Jesus Christ of Latter-day Saints, and to
establish the Kingdom of God on earth, never more to be
thrown down. I bear testimony to you. I know as I know
I live that every doctrine that he taught is calculated to
build up, to ennoble, to enlarge the soul, to establish peace
and righteousness in the hearts of the children of men, and
lead them up to God, and not away from him. I know it as
I know I live. It is true, and I thank God that, like my dear
sister here, whose earthly remains only now are with us, he
has made me to believe it and to accept of it without re-
course. I believe it with all my heart, just as I believe I
live, and as I believe my own mother and father. Let us all
strive for this belief, and if we will, we shall have joy and
satisfaction, and we shall enter into God's rest, right here,

584 GOSPEL DOCTRINE

in this world. For he that entereth into God's rest here
will never more be disturbed by the hallucinations of sin and
wickedness, and the enemies of truth will have no power
over him.

That God will help us to reach that point is my prayer,
and may the blessings of the Lord attend the family of Sis-
ter and Brother Freeze and their children, that not one of
them will ever take a course that will bring sorrow to their
beloved and sainted mother. That has been one of the stim-
ulants of my life, one of the things that has made me strive
to do good. I would not grieve my blessed mother, if I
knew it, for anything in the world. There is nothing be-
tween me and the heavens that would compensate for doing
something that would grieve or hurt my mother. Why?
Because she loved me, she would have .died for me over
and over again, if such were possible, only to have saved me.
Why shoudl I grieve, why should I disappoint her? Why
should I take a course contrary to her own life and her life's
teachings to me, for she taught me honor, and virtue, and
truth, and integrity to the kingdom of God, and she taught
me not only by precept but by example. I would not grieve
her for the world. Boys and girls, do not do anything to
grieve your mother. You know she was a Latter-day Saint,
you know she was true to her convictions. Be as true as she
was, and, as the Lord lives, you will be exalted with your
mother, and will have a fulness of joy, which may God
grant is my prayer in the name of Jesus. Amen. — Young
Woman's Journal, Vol. 23, 1911, pp. 128-132.

The Resurrection. Now I am going to take the lib-
erty of reading a little scripture to you, and then, as I go
along, express my belief and conviction in relation to what
we believe as Latter-day Saints with reference to the resur-
rection from the dead. I shall not take the pains or time
to go into the subject in detail, for there are a great many
scriptures that can be brought to bear upon the subject,

ETERNAL LIEE AND SALVATION 585

scattered through the New Testament, in the declaration of
the Son of God; but I will content myself by reading the
description of his resurrection. We all know that he was
lifted up on the cross ; that he was pierced in the side, and
that his life blood flowed* from the body; and that he
groaned upon the cross and gave up the spirit ; that his body
was taken from the cross, embalmed and wrapped in clean
linen and laid in a new sepulchre wherein the body of no
man had ever been laid. And then, remembering the re-
mark that he was to lay down his body and" take it up again,
the claim that he made that that temple was to be destroyed
but that it would be raised up the third day, that he was
going to lay down his life and take it up again, the chief
priests went to the chief authorities and demanded that a
great stone be placed* at the mouth of the supulchre and
that a seal be placed upon it, and that also a guard should be
placed there, lest his disciples should come at night and take
away the body and impose upon the public the claim that he
had risen from the dead. And so a cordon of soldiers were
placed to guard the tomb, and a great stone was placed at the
mouth of the. sepulchre, and a seal was placed upon it accord-
ing to the history given in the scriptures of it, so that it
would be absolutely impossible for the disciples of Christ to
perpetrate a deception upon the world by clandestinely
stealing and taking away the body of Chrisl and then pro-
claiming to the world that his body had been raised from the
dead. Sometimes even the enemies of the truth and those
who are seeking to destroy it become the unwitting means
of verifying truth and of putting it beyond possibility of a
doubt ; for if they had not taken this precaution themselves,
and if their guard had not been placed at the tomb to guard
the sepulchre to see that no fraud could be perpetrated, then
they could easily have gone out to the world and said, "Why,
his disciples came and took the body away; they slipped
in and stole it at night." But they closed their own mouths

586 GOSPEL DOCTRINE

in a vain attempt to destroy the effects of the resurrection
from the dead upon the mind of the people and upon the his-
tory of the world.

Thomas, one of the twelve, called Didymus, was not
with them when Jesus came, after his resurrection. "The
other disciples therefore said unto him, we have seen the
Lord. But he said unto them, Ecxept I shall see in his hands
the print of the nails, and put my finger into the print of the
nails, and thrust my hand into his -side, I will not believe"
(John 20:25).

We have a great many Didymuses in our day and gen-
eration, but we hope that there are none of them here, but
rather the other class Jesus named.

"And after eight days again his disciples were within,
and Thomas with them: then came Jesus, the doors being
shut, and stood in the midst, and said, Peace be unto you.
Then saith he to Thomas, Reach hither thy finger, and be-
hold my hands; and reach hither thy hand; and thrust it
into my side: and be not faithless, but believing. And
Thomas answered and said unto him, My Lord and my
God. Jesus saith unto him, Thomas, because thou hast seen
me, thou hast believed : blessed are they that have not seen,
and yet have believed" (John 20:26-29).

The disciple who wrote this, the beloved disciple,
the personal witness himself, he who ran to the sepulchre
and who outran Peter and came to it first, and looked
into it, and who afterwards went into it after Peter, he
who has written these words, says further: "And many
other signs truly did Jesus in the presence of his disciples,
which are not written in. this book: but these are written,
that ye might believe that Jesus is the Christ, the Son of
God; and that believing ye might have life through his
name" (John 20:30,31).

Now what I want to call to your mind is, emphatically,
the undeniable and unequivocal and direct description of

ETERNAL LIFE AND SALVATION 587

the body, the resurrected body of the Lord Jesus Christ,
given in this description of his resurrection and appearance
to his disciples, which dissipates all imagination or thought
that the death of the body and the departure of the spirit
from the body is the resurrection of the dead. Does it not?
Christ is the Son of God, and his disciples bear faithful
record of the truth as they witnessed it, as they declare
they did witness it, for they declare that they sa\v it with
their eyes, heard it with their ears, were pricked in their
hearts, and they examined the wounds with their own hands,
to see and feel that he was indeed the same individual, the
same person, the same body that was crucified, bearing the
same marks that were inflicted upon the body while it was
extended upon the cross — all this must go to show to you
that the resurrection of Christ was the resurrection of him-
self, and not his spirit. Before I proceed further, there is
another scripture that I will read to you, from the 24th
chapter of Luke:

"And, behold, two of them went the same day to a vil-
lage called Emmaus, which was from Jerusalem about three-
score furlongs. And they talked' together of all these things
which had happened. And it came to pass, that, while they
communed together and reasoned, Jesus himself drew near,
and went with them. But their eyes were holden that they
should not know him" (Luke 24:14-16).

And he journeyed and talked with them on the way,
and unfolded the scriptures unto them, but they did not
know that it was he. They did not personally know that it
was Christ resurrected.

"And it came to pass, as he sat at meat with therq, he
took bread, and blessed it, and brake, and gave to them."
Now this is not the testimony of John. This is the testi-
mony of Luke, another of the disciples of Christ.

"And their eyes were opened, and they knew him; and
he vanished out of their sight. And they said one to an-

588 GOSPEL DOCTRINE

other, Did not our heart burn within us, while he talked
with us by the way, and while he opened to us the scrip-
tures? And they rose up the same hour,- and 'returned to
Jerusalem, and found the eleven gathered together, and
them that were with them, saying, The Lord' is risen indeed,
and hath appeared to Simon. And they told what things
were done in the way, and how he was known of them in
breaking "of bread. And as they thus spake, Jesus himself
stood in the midst of them, and saith unto them, Peace be
unto you. But they were terrified and affrighted, and sup-
posed that they had seen a spirit. And he said unto them,
Why are ye troubled? and why do thoughts arise in your
hearts? Behold my hands and my feet, thai it is I myself:
handle me, and see ; for a spirit hath not flesh and bones, as
ye see me have. And when he had thus spoken, he shewed
them his hands and his feet. And while they yet believed
not for joy, and wondered, he said unto them, Have ye here
any meat? And they gave him a piece of a broiled fish, and
of an honey comb. And he took it, and did eat before them.
And he said unto them, these are the words which I spake
unto you, while I was yet with you, that all things must be
fulfilled, which were written in the law of Moses, and in the
prophets, and in the Psalms, concerning me" (Luke 24:
30-44).

Now shall we accept the scriptural definition of the res-
urrection of the body? Shall we accept Christ's manifesta-
tion in his own person resurrected from the dead? Or shall
we take the Rev. Mr. Phillips' opinion of it, that the death
of the body and the separation of the spirit from it is the
resurrection of the dead? Which do you choose?

Joseph the Prophet declared in the Book of Doctrine
and Covenants (sec. 130:22) that the Father has a body of
flesh and bones as tangible as man's, and the Son of God has
a body of flesh and bones, as he himself has declared that
he has, and is not a mere spirit, but is a risen being, a res-

ETERNAL LIFE AND SALVATION 589

urrected soul. And the Holy Ghost is 2 personage of spirit,
but not a personage of bones and flesh, as are the Father
and the Son. Consequently, the Holy Spirit, or the Holy
Ghost, may be conferred upon men, and he may dwell with
them for a while, or he may continue to dwell with them in
accordance with their worthiness and he may depart from
them at his will.

Now I am going to read a little from the Book of Mor-
mon, a book of scripture that was translated by the gift and
power of God, for the voice of God declared to the three wit-
nesses that it had been translated by the gift and power of
God and that it was true. The three witnesses declared and
testified to its truth and other eight witnesses besides the
Prophet Joseph, declared that they beheld the plates and
handled them, and saw the engravings on them, and that
they do know that Joseph Smith did have the plates from
which the Book of Mormon was translated. And it is one
of the greatest puzzles to scientists that they are discover-
ing in the path of the ancient civilization of this continent
evidences and proofs of the divinity of the Book of Mor-
mon, that they cannot dispute or gainsay. And their won-
der is, how Joseph Smith, a man unlearned in history, in
theology, in science, a man without book learning, prac-
tically could ever so closely hit upon facts that are now be-
ing discovered by explorers and scientists throughout this
historical country that the Book of Mormon covers, and
they say it is perplexing to them. It is astonishing to them
that three men could testify, as the three witnesses to the
Book of Mormon have testified, and that the other eight
witnesses could testify as they have done, and yet not one
of them ever repudiate his testimony. They cannot under-
stand and they cannot account for it upon any scientific
principle. If it was a fraud, and these men were deceived
or led into a trap, and did it by sophistry or with a purpose
of deceiving the world, surely some one or more of them

590 GOSPEL DOCTRINE

would have risen to the truth before they died and have
divulged the fraud. But no, not one of them did. They
apostatized from Joseph, but they did not deny the divinity
of the Book of Mormon. They remained faithful and true
to their testimony to that. True, they declared that Joseph
Smith had gone astray, that the Church had gone astray,
just like all other apostates have declared. You never saw
apostates anywhere who would admit that they were wrong ;
but they always claim that they are right, and the Church
is wrong. So it was with Oliver Cowdery until he repented
and returned to the Church.

So it was with David Whitmer until the day of his
death. He believed that Joseph had been led astray, first,
into receiving the Melchizedek Priesthood as well as the
Aaronic priesthood." That he received the Aaronic priest-
hood and was ordained under the hand of John the Baptist-
he admitted and believed, but he denied any ordination un-
der the hands of Peter, James and John to the Melchizedek
priesthood, and consequently he went to work and organ-
ized a church and a presidency after the order of the Aaronic
priesthood. But never, up to the time of his death, did he
deny his testimony as one of the three witnesses, and in his
dying words he declared that his testimony contained in this
book is true.

So did Oliver Cowdery. He came back into the Church
after saying many bad things and after wandering about
for a while, and confessed his follies and his wrong, and
claimed that if he could only be permitted to come back a
lay member in the Church it would be all that he could ask,
or would ask for. He felt that he was unworthy of anything
better or greater, and he was permitted to come back and be
baptized.

Martin Harris also came back and was baptized into the
Church, and died with his testimony on his lips, for not one
of them ever repudiated his testimony.

ETERNAL LIFE AND SALVATION 591

Furthermore, not one of the eight witnesses ever did
either. Neither did the Prophet Joseph. So, here you have
a record, the witnesses of which remain unimpeached and
whose integrity no power beneath the kingdom of God can
impeach, for they told the truth, and they abode in the
truth which they told until they died in the flesh.

Now, one of the ancient disciples or prophets who lived
upon this continent, who was inspired of God and who de-
livered this message to the world afterwards that was en-
graven upon plates of gold, and preserved and handed down
and revealed in this dispensation of the world, has some-
thing precious to say upon this subject. This is not from
Jerusalem. This is not a message that was delivered to the
disciples of Christ in Jerusalem; but this is a message that
was delivered by a prophet who lived upon this continent;
and here are his words :

"And he shall come into the world to redeem his people ;
[for this was before the coming of Christ to redeem his peo-
ple] and he shall take upon him the transgressions of those
who believe on his name ; and these are they that shall have
eternal life, and salvation cometh to none else."

Now let me say here : "He shall come into the world,
and he shall take upon him the transgressions of those who
believe on his name."

And those who believe will do the works that he com-
mands. No man that will believe in truth will ever refuse
to do what is required. And these are they that believe,
that shall have eternal life, and salvation cometh to none
else.

"Therefore, the wicked remain as though there had been
no redemption made, except it be the loosing of the bands
of death ; for behold, the day cometh that all shall rise from
the dead and stand before God, and be judged according to
their works. Now, there is a death which is called a tem-
poral death: and the death of Christ shall loose the bands

592 GOSPEL DOCTRINE

of this temporal death, that all shall be raised from this tem-
poral death; the spirit and the body shall be reunited again
in its perfect form; both limb and joint shall be restored to
its proper frame, even as we now are at this time; and we
shall be brought to stand before God, knowing even as we
know now, and have a bright recollection of all our guilt.
Now this restoration shall come to all, both old and young,
both bond and free, both male and female, both the wicked
and the righteous ; and even there shall not so much as a hair
of their heads be lost; but all things shall be restored to
its perfect frame, as it is now, or in the body, and shall be
brought and be arraigned before the bar of Christ the Son,
and God the Father, and the Holy Spirit, which is one
eternal God, to be judged according to their works, whether
they be good or whether they be evil. Now, behold, I have
spoken unto you concerning the death of the mortal body,
and also concerning the resurrection of the mortal body.
[Not the resurrection of the spirit, but the resurrection of
the mortal body.] I say unto you that this mortal body is
raised to an immortal body; that is from death; even from
the first death unto life, that they can die no more; their
spirits uniting with their bodies, never to be divided; thus
the whole becoming spiritual and immortal, that they can
no more see corruption" (Alma 11 :40-45).

Now that is the doctrine of the Latter-day Saints. That
is the resurrection of Jesus Christ, and, as he is the first
fruits of the resurrection from the dead, as he was raised up,
so will he raise up all the children of his Father upon whom
the curse of Adam came. For as by one man came tem-
poral death upon all men, so by the righteousness of Christ
all shall come to life, through the resurrection from the dead
upon all men, whether they be good or whether they be
evil, whether they be black or white, bond or free, learned
or unlearned, or whether they be young or old, it matters
not. The death that came by the fall of our first parents is

ETERNAL LIFE AND SALVATION 593

eradicated by the resurrection of the Son of God, and you
and I cannot help it. — Journal of Discourses, October 26,
1867.

Work for the Dead. The work for our dead, which
the Prophet Joseph laid upon us with more than ordinary
injunction, instructing us that we should look after those
of our kinsfolk, and our ancestors who have died without
the knowledge of the gospel, should not be neglected. We
should avail ourselves of those sacred and potent ordin-
ances of the gospel which have been revealed as essential to
the happiness, salvation and redemption of those who have
lived in this world when they could not learn the gospel
and have died without the knowledge of it, and are now
waiting for us, their children, who are living in an age when
these ordinances can be performed, to do the work neces-
sary for their release from the prison-house. Through our
efforts in their behalf their chains of bondage will fall from
them, and the darkness surrounding them will clear away,
that light may shine upon them and they shall hear in the
spirit world of the work that has been done for them by
their children here, and will rejoice with you in your per-
formance of these duties. — Oct. C. R., 1916, p. 6.

Temple Ordinances Unchanged. We are engaged
in temple work. We have built four temples in this land,
and we built two temples in the eastern country before we
came here. During the lifetime of the Prophet Joseph Smith
one of the two was built and dedicated, and the foundation
of the other was laid and the walls had well progressed when
he was martyred. It was finished by the efforts of the peo-
ple under the most trying circumstances, and in poverty,
and was dedicated unto the Lord. The ordinances of the
house of God were administered therein as they had been
taught to the leading authorities of the Church by the
Prophet Joseph Smith himself. The same gospel, the same
ordinances, the same authority and blessings, that were ad-

39

594 GOSPEL DOCTRINE

ministered by the Prophet Joseph Smith and taught by him
to his associates are now being enjoyed by and taught to the
Latter-day Saints in the four temples that have been built
in these valleys of the mountains. When you hear anybody
say that we have changed the ordinances, that we have
transgressed the laws, or have buoken the everlasting cove-
nants which were entered into under the personal adminis-
tration of the Prophet Joseph Smith, tell them for me, tell
them for President Snow, for President Cannon, and for all
those who are living today who received blessings and
ordinances under the hands of the Prophet Joseph Smith,
that they are in error. The same gospel prevails today, and
the same ordinances are administered today, both for the
living and for the dead, as were administered by the Prophet
himself, and delivered by him to the Church. — Oct. C. R. }
1 900, pp. 46, 47.

Care and Need of Temples. We feel that an effort
should be made to preserve the temples of God, those
houses that have been erected for the purpose of adminis-
tering the ordinances of the gospel therein, tor the living
and the dead. We desire that these buildings shall be pre-
served and kept in repair and in a wholesome condition, so
that the Spirit of the Lord may dwell in them, and that
those who minister therein, may feel the presence and influ-
ence of his Spirit. We also feel that when the time shall
come and our hands shall be free from the obligations that
now rest upon us, other places should be prepared for the
convenience of the Latter-day Saints in more distant stakes,
in order that those who are living at great distances from
the center may have the privilege of receiving the ordinances
of the gospel without being put to the great expense and loss
of time that is necessary now in journeying from 500 to
1000 miles in order to reach the houses of God. We htfpe
to see the day when we shall have temples built in the vari-
ous parts of the land where they are needed for the con-

ETERNAL LIFE AND SALVATION 595

venience of the. people ; for we realize that one of the great-
est responsibilities that rests upon the people of God today is
that their hearts shall be turned unto their fathers, and that
they shall do the work that is necessary to be done for them
in order that they may be joined together fitly in the bond
of the New and Everlasting Covenant from generation to
generation. For the Lord has said, through the Prophet,
that this is one of the greatest responsibilities devolving upon
us in this latter day.— Oct. C. R., 1902, pp. 2, 3.'

Preaching the Gospel in the Spirit World. Never
has there been a name brought to the intelligence of the
human race since the foundations of the world that has cost
so much, that has accomplished so much, that has been re-
vered and honored so much as the name of Jesus Christ,
once so hated and persecuted, and once crucified. The day
will come, and it is not far distant either, when the name
of the Prophet Joseph Smith will be coupled with the name
of Jesus Christ of Nazareth, the Son of God, as his repre-
sentative, as his agent whom he chose, ordained and set
apart to lay anew the foundations of the Church of Jesus
Christ possessing all the powers of the gospel, all the rites
and privileges, the authority of the holy priesthood, and every
principle necessary to fit and qualify both the living and the
dead to inherit eternal life and to attain to exaltation in the
kingdom of God. The day will come when you and I will
not be the only ones who will believe this, by a great deal,
but there will be millions living and dead who will proclaim
this truth. This gospel revealed to the Prophet Joseph is
already being preached to the spirits in prison, to those who
have passed away from this stage of action into the spirit
world without. the knowledge of the gospel. Joseph Smith
is preaching that gospel to them. So is Hyrum Smith. So
is Brigham Young, and so are all the faithful apostles that
lived in this dispensation under the administration of the
Prophet Joseph. They are there, having carried with them

596 GOSPEL DOCTRINE

from here the holy priesthood that they received under
authority, and which was conferred upon them in the
flesh ; they are preaching the gospel to the spirits in prison,
for Christ, when his body lay in the tomb, went to pro-
claim liberty to the captives and opened the prison doors to
them that were bound. Not only are these engaged in that
work, but hundreds and thousands of others : the elders that
have died in the mission field have not finished their mis-
sions, but they are continuing them in the spirit world.
Possibly the Lord saw it necessary or proper to call them
hence as he did. I am not going to question that thought,
at least, nor dispute it. I leave it in the hand of God, for
I believe that all these things will be overruled for good,
for the Lord will suffer nothing to go to his people in the
world that he will not overrule eventually for their greater
good. — M. I. A. Conference, June 5, 1910 ;Young Woman's
Journal, Vol. 21, pp. 456-460.

Vision of the Redemption of the Dead. On the
third of October, in the year nineteen hundred and eighteen,
I sat in my room pondering over the Scriptures and reflect-
ing upon the great atoning sacrifice that was made by the
Son of God for the redemption of the world, and the great
and wonderful love made manifest by the Father and the
Son in the coming of the Redeemer into the world, that
through his Atonement and by obedience to the principles
of the gospel, mankind might be saved.

While I was thus engaged, my mind reverted to the
writings of the Apostle Peter to the primitive saints scattered
abroad throughout Pontus, Galatia, Cappadocia, and other
parts of Asia where the gospel had been preached after the
crucifixion of the Lord. I opened the Bible and read the
third and fourth chapters of the first epistle of Peter, and
as I read I was greatly impressed, more than I had ever
been before, with the following passages :

"For Christ also hath once suffered for sins, the iust

ETERNAL LIFE AND SALVATION 597

for the unjust, that he might bring us to God, being put to
death in the flesh, but quickened by the Spirit:

"By which also he went and preached unto the spirits
in prison;

"Which sometime were disobedient, when once the long-
suffering of God waited in the days of Noah, while the ark
was a preparing, wherein few, that is, eight souls were saved
by water" (I Peter 3:18-20).

"For for this cause was the gospel preached also to
them that are dead, that they might be judged according to
men in J:he flesh, but live according to God in the spirit"
(I Peter 4:6).

As I pondered over these things which are written, the
eyes of my understanding were opened, and the Spirit of the
Lord rested upon me, and I saw the hosts of the dead, both
small and great. And there were gathered together in one
place an innumerable company of the spirits of the just,
who had been faithful in the testimony of Jesus while they
lived in mortality, and who had offered sacrifice in the sim-.
ilitude of the great sacrifice of the Son of God, and had suf-
fered tribulation in their Redeemer's name. All these had
departed the mortal life, firm in the hope of a glorious res-
urrection, through the gjrace of God the Father and his
Only Begotten Son, Jesus Christ.

I beheld that they were filled with joy and gladness, and
were rejoicing together because the day of their deliverance
was at hand. They were assembled awaiting the advent of
the Son of God into the spirit world, to declare their re-
demption from the bands of death. Their sleeping dust was
to be restored unto its perfect frame, bone to his bone, and
the sinews and the flesh upon them, the spirit and the body
to be united never again to be divided, that they might re-
ceive a fulness of joy.

While this vast multitude waited and conversed, re-
joicing in the hour of their deliverance from the chains of

598 GOSPEL DOCTRINE

death, the Son of God appeared, declaring liberty to the
captives who had been faithful, and there he preached to
them the everlasting gospel, the doctrine of the resurrection
and the redemption of mankind from the fall, and from
individual sins on conditions of repentance. But unto the
wicked he did not go, and among the ungodly and the unre-
pentant who had defiled themselves while in the flesh, his
voice was not raised, neither did the rebellious who rejected
the testimonies and the warnings of the ancient prophets
behold his presence, nor look upon his face. Where these
were, darkness reigned, but among the righteous there was
peace, and the saints rejoiced in their redemption, and
bowed the knee and acknowledged the Son of God as their
Redeemer and Deliverer from death and the chains of hell.
Their countenances shone and the radiance from the pres-
ence of the Lord rested upon them and they sang praises
unto his holy Name.

I marveled, for I understood that the Savior spent about
three years in his ministry among the Jews and those of the
house of Israel, endeavoring to teach them the everlasting
gospel and call them unto repentance; and yet, 'notwith-
standing his mighty works and miracles and proclamation of
the truth in great power and authority, there were but few
who harkened to his voice and rejoiced in his presence and
received salvation at his hands. But his ministry among
those who were dead was limited to the brief time interven-
ing between the crucifixion and his resurrection ; and I won-
dered at the words of Peter wherein he said that the Son
of God preached unto the spirits in prison who sometime
were disobedient, when once the longsuffering of God waited
in the days of Noah, and how it was possible for him to
preach to those spirits and perform the necessary labor
among them in so short a time.

And as I wondered, my eyes were opened, and my un-
derstanding quickened, and I perceived that the Lord went

ETERNAL LIFE AND SALVATION 599

not in person among the wicked and the disobedient who
had rejected the truth, to teach them; but behold, from
among the righteous he organized his forces and appointed
messengers, clothed with power and authority, and com-
missioned them to go forth and carry the light of the gospel
to them that were in darkness, even to all the spirits of
men. And thus was the gospel preached to the dead. And
the chosen messengers went forth to declare the acceptable
day of the Lord, and proclaim liberty to the captives who
were bound; even unto all who would repent of their sins
and receive the gospel. Thus was the gospel preached to
those who had died in their sins, without a knowledge of
the truth, or in transgression, having rejected the prophets.
These were taught faith in God, repentance from sin,
vicarious baptism for the remission of sins, the gift of the
Holy Ghost by the laying on of hands, and all other princi-
ples of the gospel that were necessary for them to know
in order to qualify themselves that they might be judged
according to men in the flesh, but live according to God in
the spirit.

And so it was made known among the dead, both small
and great, the unrighteous as well as the faithful, that re-
demption had been wrought through the sacrifice of the Son
of God upon the cross. Thus was it made known that our
Redeemer spent his time during his sojourn in the world of
spirits, instructing and preparing the faithful spirits of the
prophets who had testified of him in the flesh, that they
might carry the message of redemption unto all the dead
unto whom % he could not go personally because of their re-
bellion and transgression, that they through the ministra-
tion of his servants might also hear his words.

Among the great and mighty ones who were assem-
bled in this vast congregation of the righteous, were Father
Adam, the Ancient of Days and father of all, and our glo-
rious Mother Eve, with many of her faithful daughters who

600 GOSPEL DOCTRINE

had lived through the ages and worshiped the true and liv-
ing God. Abel, the first martyr, was there, and his brother
Seth, one of the mighty ones, who was in the express image
of his father Adam. Noah, who gave warning of the flood ;
Shem, the great High Priest ; Abraham, the father of the
faithful; Isaac, Jacob, and Moses, the great law-giver of
Israel, who declared by prophecy that the Redeemer was
anointed to bind up the broken hearted, to proclaim liberty
to the captives, and the opening of the prison to them that
were bound, were also there.

Moreover, Ezekiel, who was shown in vision the great
valley of dry bones which were to be clothed upon with
ftesh to come forth again in the resurrection of the dead,
living souls ; Daniel, who foresaw and foretold the establish-
ment of the kingdom of God in the latter days, never again
to be destroyed nor given to other people ; Elias, who was
with Moses on the Mount of Transfiguration, and Malachi,
the prophet who testified of the coming of Elijah — of whom
also Moroni spake to the Prophet Joseph Smith — declaring
that he should come before the ushering in of the great and
dreadful day of the Lord, were also there. The Prophet
Elijah was to plant in the hearts of the children the promises
made to their fathers, foreshadowing the great work to. be
clone in the temples of the Lord in the Dispensation of the
Fulness of Times, for the redemption of the dead and the
sealing of the children to their parents, lest the whole earth
be smitten with a curse and utterly wasted at his coming.

All these and many more, even the prophets who dwelt
among the Nephites and testified of the coming of the Son of
God, mingled in the vast assembly and waited for their de-
liverance, for the dead had looked upon the long absence of
their spirits from their bodies as a bondage. These the Lord
taught, and gave them power to come forth, after his resur-
rection from the dead, to enter into his Father's kingdom,
there to be crowned with immortality and eternal life, and

ETERNAL LIFE AND SALVATION 601

continue thenceforth their labors as had been promised by
the Lord, and be partakers of all blessings which were held
in reserve for them that love him.

The Prophet Joseph Smith, and my father, Hyrum
Smith, Brigham Young, John Taylor, Wilford Woodruff,
and other choice spirits who were reserved to come forth
in the fulness of times to take part in laying the foundations
of the great Latter-day work, including the building of the
temples and the performance of ordinances therein for the
redemption of the dead, were also in the spirit world. I ob-
served that they were also among the noble and great ones
who were chosen in the beginning to be rulers in the Church
of God. Even before they were born, they, with many oth-
ers, received their first lessons in the world of spirits, and
were prepared to come forth in the due time of the Lord to
labor in his vineyard for the salvation of the souls of men.

I beheld that the faithful elders of this dispensation,
when they depart from mortal life, continue their labors in
the preaching of the gospel of repentance and redemption,
through the sacrifice of the Only Begotten Son of God,
among those who are in darkness and under the bondage of
sin in the great world of the spirits of the dead. The dead
who repent will be redeemed, through obedience to the or-
dinances of the house of God, and after thty have paid the
penalty of their transgressions, and are washed clean, shall
receive a reward according to their works, for they are
heirs of salvation.

Thus was the vision of the redemption of the dead re-
vealed to me, and I bear record, and I know that this record
is true, through the blessing of our Lord and Savior, Jesus
Christ, even so. Amen. — Joseph F. Smith.

This Vision of the Redemption of the Dead was sub-
mitted, October 31, 1918, to the Counselors in the First
Presidency, the Council of the Twelve and the Patriarch,

602 GOSPEL DOCTRINE

and by them unanimously accepted. — Improvement Era,
Vol. 22, December, 1918, pp. 166-170.

Moderation in Burial Displays. A good friend
who is often called upon to attend to the proprieties on be-
half of the dead, calls attention in a letter to the indulgence
of extravagance in the laying away of our departed friends
and relatives. She believes that the Lord is not pleased with
the profusion of flowers, the expensive dress, and even with
the ornaments of gold in the form of rings and other jew-
elry used in decorating the dead.

We certainly recommend moderation and wisdom in the
use of flowers, the hire of carriages, and the purchase of
caskets. In the old scriptures we have numerous examples
of simplicity in burials. While we are not called upon liter-
ally to follow these, they should be a lesson to us to avoid
ostentations, and to attend to these matters with only such
displays and preparations as will show due respect for the
departed, and proper consideration for the living.

Relating to dress, the Latter-day Saints burial clothes
are all sufficient for our day. Anything more is unneces-
sary, which good, common sense would clearly suggest;
while the burial of jewelry with the dead can serve no good
purpose. It savors of vanity, and might prove a temptation
to grave robbers, — a naturally horrible thought. In like
manner with carriages and caskets, only the necessary and
modest should be used. — Improvement Era, Vol. 12, Decem-
ber, 1908, p. 145.

Who Cannot be Reached by the Gospel. And he that
believes, is baptized, and receives the light and testimony of
Jesus Christ, and walks well for a season, receiving the ful-
ness of the blessings of the gospel in this world, and after-
wards turns wholly unto sin, violating his covenants, he will
be among those whom the gospel can never reach in the
spirit world ; and all such go beyond its saving power, they
will taste the second death, and be banished from the pres-

ETERNAL LIFE AND SALVATION 603

ence of God eternally. — Oct. C. R., Dtseret Weekly Nezvs,
Vol. 24, 1875, p. 708.

Principle of Baptism for the Dead. Here will come
in the principles of baptism for the dead, and of proxy and
heirships, as revealed through the Prophet Joseph Smith,
that they may receive a salvation and an exaltation, I will
not say a fulness of blessing and glory, but a reward ac-
cording to their merits and the righteousness and mercy of
God, even as it will be with you and with me. But there is
this difference between us and the antediluvians — they re-
jected the gospel, consequently they receivd not the truth
nor the testimony of Jesus Christ ; therefore they did not sin
against a fulness of light, while we have received the ful-
ness of the gospel; are admitted to the testimony of Jesus
Christ, and a knowledge of the living and true God, whose
will it is also our privilege to know, that we may do it. Now
if we sin, we sin against the light and knowledge, and per-
adventure we may become guilty of the blood' of )esus
Christ, for which sin there is no forgiveness, neither in
this world nor in the world to come. — Oct. C. R., Deseret
Weekly News, Vol. 24, 1875, p. 708.

CHAPTER XXV.
Joseph Smith, the Prophet.

The Reality of Joseph's Vision. Our critics say
it was an apparition that the Prophet Joseph saw, but he did
not say so. He said the personages who appeared to him
were real men, and there is nothing more improbable in his
statement than in the recital in the Bible of the conception
and birth of Christ, and of John the Baptist. To us has
come the account of the birth, life and work of Christ, and
there is nothing in the narrative to cause us to believe it more
readily than that story of the Prophet Joseph Smith. Christ
walked and talked and counseled with his friends when he
came down from heaven over 1900 years ago. Is there
any reason why he could not come again, why he should not
visit this earth once more and talk with men today? If
there is I should be glad to hear it.

The thing I want to impress upon you is that God is
real, a creature of flesh and bones the same as you are and I
am. Christ is the same, but the Holy Ghost is a creature of
spirit.

If Joseph Smith's teachings were untrue, then those of
the Great Nazarene fall to the ground, for they are one and
the same. You can't philosophize the truths of the gospel
away/ nor explain them by saying the prophet was a vic-
tim of apparitions, for they are real, tangible facts behind
which stand a great mass of proof as good as has ever been
offered to substantiate any statement. It is a comfort, a
blessing, a delight to me, and I pray that it may ever be so
to you. — Logan Journal, March 14", 1911.

Service of Joseph Smith. Our faith in Jesus Christ
lies at the foundation of our religion, the foundation of our
hope for remission of sins, and for exaltation after death,

JOSEPH SMITH, THE PROPHET 605

and for the resurrection from death to everlasting life. Our
faith in the doctrines that have been restored through the
instrumentality of the Prophet Joseph Smith confirms and
strengthens us and establishes beyond a question or doubt,
our faith and belief in the divine mission of the Son of God.
Joseph Smith was the instrument chosen of God and en-
dowed with his authority to restore the holy priesthood, the
power of God to bind on earth and in heaven, — the power
of the priesthood by which men may perform ordinances of
the gospei of Jesus Christ for the salvation of mankind.
Through Joseph Smith the gospel of repentance, baptism in
water for the remission of sins, the baptism of the Holy
Ghost and by fire, have been restored, and the knowledge that
Jesus is the Christ, the Only Begotten Son of God, is made
manifest through the Spirit of truth. We are obligated
to this humble servant that the Lord chose to lay the foun-
dation of this work for the ordinances of the gospel of the
Son of God, then and still unknown to the world, by which
we may become united together as families, as kindreds, un-
der the bonds of the new and everlasting covenant, for
time and for all eternity. We are obligated to the Prophet
Joseph Smith, as an instrument in the hand of the Lord,
for the knowledge that we possess of the work which is
necessary to be done in the house of God, for the salvation
of the living and the redemption of the dead, and for the
eternal union of souls who are united in this life by the
power of God, under the bond of the everlasting covenant.
We are indebted, or obligated at least, to the Prophet Joseph
Smith as the instrument in the hands of God, for the knowl-
edge we now possess that a man cannot be exalted into the
presence of God and the full enjoyment of his glory, alone.
It was not designed for the man to be alone, for the man is
not without the woman, neither the woman without the
man, in the Lord — Oct. C. R. t 1916, p. 3.

Joseph Smith's Name Will Never Perish. God

606 . GOSPEL DOCTRINE

lives, and Jesus is the Christ, the Savior of the world. Joseph
Smith is a prophet of God — living, not dead ; for his name
will never perish. The angel that visited him and declared
God's message unto him, told him that his name should be
held for good and for evil throughout the world. This
prediction was made in the days of his youth, before the
Church was organized, and before there was any prospect of
that which has since been accomplished. The declaration
was made, notwithstanding it then seemed an absolute im-
possibility; but from the day it was spoken until this mo-
ment, and from now on until the winding-up scene, the
name of Joseph Smith, the prophet of the nineteenth cen-
tury, has been, is being, and will be heralded abroad to the
nations of the earth, and will be held in honor or contempt
by the people of the world. But the honor in which it is
now held by a few will by and by be increased that his
name shall be held in reverence and honor among the chil-
dren of men as universally as the name of the Son of God is
held today ; for he did and is doing the work of the Master.
He laid the foundations in this dispensation for the restora-
tion of the principles that were taught by the Son of God,
who for these principles lived, and taught, and died, and
rose from the dead. Therefore I say, as the name of the
Son of God shall be held in reverence and honor, and in the
faith and love of men, so will the name of Joseph Smith
eventually be held among the children of men, gaining
prestige, increasing in honor, and commanding respect and
reverence, until the world shall say that he was a servant and
Prophet of God. The Lord God Omnipotent reigneth.
Peace on earth, good will to man, is the proclamation that
Joseph the Prophet made, and that is the same as his Mas-
ter, the Lord Jesus Christ, made, to the world. That is
the mission we are trying to fulfil, and the proclamation we
are seeking to make to the world today. It is the mission
that these young men have been chosen to proclaim, and be

JOSEPH SMITH, THE PROPHET 607

witnesses of to the nations of the earth. It is their duty
to see to it that this proclamation and this gospel of peace
and good will shall be sent to every nation, and kindred, and
tongue, and people, under the whole heavens. God bless
Israel, is my earnest prayer in the name of Jesus, Amen. —
Oct. C. R., 1907, pp. 125-6.

The Prophet Joseph Smith. Brother Woodruff, in
the course of his remarks, made the assertion that Joseph
Smith was the greatest prophet that has ever lived, of whom
we have any knowledge, save and except Jesus Christ him-
self. The world would say that he was an imposter; and
the Lord said that his name should be had for good and for
evil among all the nations of the earth; and this much, at
least, so far as his name has become known, has been ful-
filled. This prediction was made through the Prophet Jo-
seph Smith himself, when he was an obscure youth, and
when there was but little prospect of his name ever becoming
known beyond the village where he lived. It was at an
early period of his life, and at the beginning of the work
that this prophecy or revelation was given, and it has been
truly verified. Today there is not another man, perhaps,
who has figured in religion, whose name is so wide-spread
among the nations, as that of Joseph Smith. In connection
with the work of which he was the instrument in the hands
of God of laying the foundation, his name is spoken of in
nearly every civilized nation upon the globe, for good or for
evil. Where it is^ spoken of for good, it is by those who
have had the privilege of hearing the gospel which has come
to the earth through him, and who have been sufficiently
honest and humble to receive the same. They speak of him
with a knowledge which they have received by the inspira-
tion of the Holy Spirit, through obedience to the principles
which he taught, as a prophet and as an inspired man. They
speak to his praise, to his honor, and they hold his name in
honorable remembrance. They revere him, and they love

608 GOSPEL DOCTRINE

him, as they love no other man, because they know he was
the chosen instrument in the hands of the Almighty in re-
stoiing the gospel of life and salvation unto them, of opening
their understandings of the future, of lifting the ve ; .l of
eternity, as it were, from before their eyes. Those who
have received the principles which he promulgated know
they pertain not only to their own salvation, happiness and
peace, spiritual and temporal, but to the welfare, happiness,
salvation and exaltation of their kindred who have died
without a knowledge of the truth.

The work in which Joseph Smith was engaged was not
confined to this life alone, but it pertains as well to the life
to come, and to the life that has been. In other words, it
relates to those who have lived upon the earth, to those who
are living, and to those who shall come after us. It is not
something which relates to man only while he tabernacles
in the flesh, but to the whole human family from eternity
to eternity. Consequently, as I have said, Joseph Smith is
held in reverence, his name is honored; tens of thousands
of people thank God in their heart, and from the depths of
their souls, for the knowledge the Lord has restored to the
earth through him, and therefore they speak well of him
and bear testimony of his worth. And this is not confined to
a village, nor to a state, nor to a nation, but extends to
every nation, kindred, tongue and people where the gospel,
up to the present, has been preached — in America, Great
Britain, Europe, Africa, Australia, New Zealand and upon
the islands of the sea. And the Book of Mormon, which
Joseph Smith was the instrument in the hands of God of
bringing forth to this generation, has been translated into
the German, French, Danish, Swedish, Welsh, Hawaiian,
Hindustani, Spanish, and Dutch languages, and this book
will be translated into other languages, for according to
the predictions it contains, and according to the promises
of the Lord through Joseph Smith, it is to be sent unto

JOSEPH SMITH, THE PROPHET 609

every nation, and kindred, and people under the whole
heavens, until all the sons and daughters of Adam shall
have the privilege of hearing the gospel as it has been re-
stored to the earth in the dispensation of the fulness of
times.

The world presume that we have not received a knowl-
edge of the truth. Those who are in ignorance in regard
to the character, life, and labors of Joseph Smith, who
have never read his revelations or studied or investigated
his claims to divine authority, and are ignorant of his mis-
sion, revile him, sneer at his name, and ridicule his claims
to prophetic inspiration, and call him an impostor In his
day, except by a few who hearkened to his instruction, and
believed his testimony. The great majority of mankind
then living who knew of Christ, deemed him an impostor,
and considered him worthy to be put to death ; precisely the
same feeling existed towards Joseph Smith.

*t* *** *f* *f*

Let us return to the Prophet Joseph Smith. He was
accused of nearly everything that was vile, by his enemies,
who, as is well known by the Latter-day Saints, were gen-
erally entirely ignorant of his true character and mission.
What did Joseph Smith do ? Was human blood found upon
his hands ? No, verily no. He was innocent. Was he a
slanderer and vilifier? No, verily, he was not. Did he
wrongfully and unjustly accuse men of wickedness? No, he
did not. Did he institute an order of things that has proved
injurious to the human family? Let the people who have
become acquainted with his doctrines, and with the institu-
tions which he established upon the earth, and his own life's
labor, answer.

He was born December 23, 1805, in the state of Ver-
mont. His parents were American citizens, as had been
their ancestors for generations. In the spring of 1820, he
received the first supernatural or heavenly manifestation.

40

610 GOSPEL DOCTRINE

He was then fourteen years of age. Ordinarily we do not
expect a very great deal from a boy who is only fourteen
years of age, and it is not likely that a boy of that tender age
could have become very vicious or wicked, especially when he
was born and reared on a farm, apart from the corrupting
vices of great cities, and free from contact with the debasing
influence of vile associations. It is not likely that he spent
many idle moments during the working years of his life, up
to fourteen years of age ; for his father had to labor for his
living and earn it from the soil by the labor of his hands,
being a poor man with a large family to support.

In 1820, as I have said, Joseph Smith received a rev-
elation in which he claimed that God had declared that he
was about to restore the ancient gospel in its purity, and
many other glorious things. In consequence of this, Joseph
Smith became very notorious in the neighborhood where
he resided, and people began to regard him with a great
deal of suspicion. He was at once called an impostor, and
a few years later he was styled by his enemies, "old Joe
Smith." His fame became known throughout the United
States. He was called a "money digger," and many other
contemptuous things. If you will look at his history, and
at the character of his parents, and surroundings, and con-
sider the object of his life, you can discover how much
consistency there was in the charges brought against him.
All this was done to injure him. He was neither old nor
a "money digger," nor an impostor, nor in any manner de-
serving of the epithets which they applied to him. He had
never injured anybody, nor robbed anybody, — he never
did anything for which he could be punished by the laws
under which he lived.

When he was between 17 and 18 years of age, he re-
ceived another heavenly manifestation, and some great and
glorious things were revealed to him, and for four years
subsequently he received visits from a heavenly messenger.

JOSEPH SMITH, THE PROPHET 611

He did not claim he was in communication with wicked
men or demons from the lower regions. He claimed he was
in communication with Moroni, one of the ancient prophets
who lived upon this continent. He was a good man when
he lived here, and it is not likely that he had become wicked
since he went away. This personage, he claimed, revealed
to him the mind and will of the Lord, and showed him the
character of the great work that he, in the hands of God,
was to be instrumental in establishing in the earth when the
time should come. This was the labor that was performed
by the angel Moroni, during the four years intervening be-
tween 1823 and 1827. In 1827 he received from the hands
of the angel Moroni, the gold plates from which this book
(Book of Mormon) was translated" by him through the
inspiration of the Almighty, and the gift and power of God
unto him. I heard it read when I was a child.. I have read
it many times since, and I have asked myself, scores of
times, have you ever discovered one precept, doctrine, or
command, within the lids of that book, that is calculated to
injure anybody, to do harm to the world, or that is in con-
tradiction to the word of God as contained in the Bible?
And the answer invariably came, No, not one solitary thing ;
every precept, doctrine, word of advice, prophecy, and
indeed every word contained within the lids of that book
relating to the great plan of human redemption and salva-
tion is calculated to make bad men good and good men
better.

Did Joseph Smith during the three years intervening
between 1827 and 1830, while he was laboring with his hands
for a scanty subsistence, dodging his enemies, and trying
to evade the grasp of those who sought to destroy him and
prevent the accomplishment of his mission, struggling all the
while against untold obstacles and depressing embarrass-
ments to complete the translation of this book, have much

612 GOSPEL DOCTRINE

chance of becoming wicked or corrupt? I do not think he
had. When he had finished translating the Book of Mor-
mon he was still only a boy, yet in producing this book he
developed historical facts, prophecies, revelations, pre-
dictions, testimonies and doctrines, precepts and principles
that are beyond the power and wisdom of the learned world
to duplicate or refute. Joseph Smith was an unlearned
youth, so far as the learning of the world is concerned.
He was taught by the angel Moroni. He received his edu-
cation from above, from God Almighty, and not from man-
made institutions; but to charge him with being ignorant
would be both unjust and false ; no man or combination of
men possessed greater intelligence than he, nor could the
combined wisdom and cunning of the age produce an
equivalent for what he did. He was not ignorant, for he was
taught by Him from whom all intelligence flows. He pos-
sessed a knowledge of God and of his law, and of eter-
nity, and mankind have been trying, with all their learning,
wisdom and power — and not content with that, they have
tried with the sword and cannon to extirpate from the
earth the superstructure which Joseph Smith, by the power
of God, erected ; but they have signally failed, and will yet
be overwhelmed by their efforts to* destroy it.

Again, the world say that Joseph Smith was an indolent
person. The Church of Jesus Christ of Latter-day Saints
was organized April 6, 1830. Joseph Smith was martyred
in Carthage, Illinois, on the 27th day of June, 1844 — four-
teen years after the organization of the Church. What did
he accomplish in these fourteen years? He opened up com-
munication with the heavens in his youth. He brought forth
the Book of Mormon, which contains the fulness of the
gospel; and the revelations contained in the Book of Doc-
trine and Covenants ; restored the holy priesthood unto man ;
established and organized the Church of Jesus Christ of Lat-
ter-day Saints, an organization which has no parallel in all

JOSEPH SMITH, THE PROPHET 613

the world, and which all the cunning and wisdom of men for
ages has failed to discover or produce and never could have
done. He founded colonies in the states of New York, Ohio,
Missouri and Illinois, and pointed the way for the gathering
of the Saints into the Rocky Mountains ; sent the gospel into
Europe and to the islands of the sea; founded the town of
Kirtland, Ohio, and there built a temple that cost scores
of thousands of dollars ; he founded the city of Nau-
voo in the midst of persecution ; gathered into Nauvoo and
vicinity some 20,000 people, and commenced the building of
the temple there, which when completed cost one million
dollars ; and in doing all this he had to contend against the
prejudices of the age, against relentless persecution, mob-
ocracy, and vile calumny and slander, that were heaped upon
him from all quarters without stint or measure. In a word,
he did more in from fourteen to twenty years for the salva-
tion of man than any other man save Jesus only, who ever
lived, and yet he was accused by his enemies of being an
indolent and worthless man !

Where shall we go to find another man who has accom-
plished a one-thousandth part of the good that Joseph Smith
accomplished ? Shall we go to the Rev. Mr. Beecher, or Tal-
mage, or any other of the great preachers of the day? What
have they done for^the world, with all their boasted intelli-
gence, influence, wealth, and the popular voice of the world
in their favor ! Joseph Smith had none of their advantages,
if these are advantages. And yet, no man in the nineteenth
century, except Joseph Smith, has discovered to the world a
ray of light upon the keys and power of the holy priesthood,
or the ordinances of the gospel, either for the living or the
dead. Through Joseph Smith, God has revealed many things
which were kept hidden from the foundation of the world in
fulfilment of the prophets — and at no time since Enoch
walked the earth has the Church of God been organized as
perfectly as it is today, not excepting the dispensation of

614 GOSPEL DOCTRINE

Jesus and his disciples, — or, if it was, we have no record of
it. And this is strictly in keeping with the objects and char-
acter of this great latter-day work, destined to consummate
the great purpose and designs of God concerning the dispen-
sation of the fulness of times.

The principle of baptism for the redemption of the
dead, with the ordinances appertaining thereto, for the com-
plete salvation and exaltation of those who have died with-
out the gospel, as revealed through Joseph Smith, is alone
worth more than all the dogmas of the so-called Christian
world combined.

Joseph Smith is accused of being a false prophet. It is,
however, beyond the power of the world to prove that he was
a false prophet. They may so charge him, but you who have
received the testimony of Jesus Christ, by the spirit of proph-
ecy, through his administrations, are my witnesses that they
have not the power to prove him false, and that is why they
are so vexed about it. In my humble opinion many of our
enemies know that they lie before God, angels and men, when
they make this charge, and they would only be too glad to
produce proof to sustain their accusations, but they cannot.
Joseph Smith was a true prophet of God. He lived and died
a true prophet, and his words and works will yet demon-
strate the divinity of his mission to millions of the inhab-
itants of this globe. Perhaps not so many that are now liv-
ing, for they have in a great measure rejected the gospel,
and the testimony which the elders of this Church have
borne to them ; but their children after them, and generations
to come, will receive with delight the name of the Prophet
Joseph Smith, and the gospel which their fathers rejected.
Amen. — Discourse delivered in Assembly Hall, Salt Lake
City, Oct. 29, 1882. Journal of Discourses, Vol. 24, 1884,
pp. 8-16.

Prediction of Joseph Smith Fulfilled. As the time
remaining is so short, I think I could not do better than de-

JOSEPH SMITH, THE PROPHET' 615

vote it to continuing the subject dwelt upon by Brother Can-
non.

The Doctrine and Covenants, as well as the Book of
Mormon, contains indisputable evidence of the divine calling
and mission of Joseph Smith. For instance, I will refer the
congregation to the revelation given December 25, 1832,
in relation to the great war of the Rebellion, with which all
are more or less familiar (Doc. and Cov. 87). A portion of
that revelation has been literally fulfilled, even to the very
place indicated in the prediction where the war should com-
mence ; which, as was therein stated, was to terminate in
the death and misery of many souls.

Again, in the revelation given in March, 1831, to Parley
P. Pratt and Lemon Copley, the following remarkable pre-
diction is found :

"But before the great day of the Lord shall come, Jacob
shall flourish in the wilderness, and the Lamanites shall blos-
som as the rose. Zion shall flourish upon the hills and re-
joice upon the mountains, and shall be assembled together
unto the place which I have appointed" (Doc. and Cov.
49:24,25).

Who, let me ask, unless he was inspired of the Lord,
speaking by the gift and power of God, at that remote period
of the Church's history, when our numbers were few, when
we had no influence, name or standing in the world — who,
I would ask, under the circumstances in which we were
placed when this prediction was made, could have uttered
such words unless God inspired him? Zion is, indeed, flour-
ishing on the hills, and is rejoicing on the mountains, and
we who compose it are gathering and assembling together
unto the place appointed. I now ask this congregation if
they cannot see that this prediction (which was made many
years before the idea prevailed at all among this people that
we should ever migrate and gather out to these mountain
valleys) has been and is being literally fulfilled? If there

616 . GOSPEL DOCTRINE

were no other prophecy uttered by Joseph Smith, fulfilment
of which could be pointed to, this alone would be sufficient to
entitle him to the claim of being a true prophet.

Again, in the revelation given February, 1834, this re-
markable promise and prophecy is found:

"Verily I say unto you, I have decreed a decree which
my people shall realize, inasmuch as they hearken from this
very hour, unto the counsel which I, the Lord their God,
shall give unto them. Behold they shall, for I have decreed
it, begin to prevail against mine enemies from' this very hour,
and by hearkening to observe all the words which I, the
Lord their God, shall speak unto them, they shall never
cease to prevail until the kingdoms of the world are subdued
under my feet, and the earth is given unto the Saints, to pos-
sess it for ever and ever" (Doc. and Cov. 103:5-7).

Is there a person within the sound of my voice, or any-
where else upon the face of the wide earth, who can say that
this promise has failed, that this prediction is not founded in
truth, that so far it has not been fulfilled? I stand before
this vast congregation, and am at the defiance of any human
being to say that this was not pronounced by the spirit of
truth, by the inspiration of the Almighty, for it has been ful-
filled, and is being fulfilled, and that, too, in the face of oppo-
sition of the most deadly character: and what remains will
be fulfilled literally and completely^. And it is the fear in the
heart of Satan that this will be the case that causes him to
stir up his emissaries to oppose the kingdom of God and
seek, if possible, to destroy this great and glorious work.
For it is a living fact, a fact that fills the hearts of the
righteous and God-fearing with unspeakable joy, and the
hearts of the wicked and ungodly with consternation and
jealous fear, that this work of God, this work of redemp-
tion and salvation in which we are engaged, is moving for-
ward and is destined to continue in its onward march until
the kingdoms of the world shall be subdued and brought

JOSEPH SMITH, THE PROPHET 617

under the law of Almighty God. And that this will come
to pass, I can assure you, the enemy of all righteousness
comprehends as well as we do. Yes, he knows that this
will eventually be the case, better than many who profess
to have received the Holy Spirit in their hearts ; and, there-
fore, he. is diligently seeking to stir up the hearts of the
wicked to fight against the Saints of God, until they are dis-
comfited, and Zion is free.

These predictions concerning the triumph of the cause
of God over the wicked who contend against them, were
uttered by Joseph Smith in his youth, in the early rise of
the Church when, to all human appearance, their fulfilment
was absolutely impossible. At that time there were but few
who could believe, that dared to believe the truth of these
predictions. The few, comparatively, that did believe when
they heard, were those whose minds had been enlightened
by the Holy Spirit of promise and who, therefore, were pre-
pared to receive them. As these predictions have been ful-
filled, so those not yet fulfilled will come to pass in the due
time of the Lord; and as this latter-day work has so far
grown and assumed force and power in the earth, so it will
continue to do, and there is no power beneath the celestial
kingdom that can prevent its growth, or the consummation
of all that has been predicted concerning it. — Apr. C. R.,
Journal of Discourses, Vol. 25, 1884, pp. 97-101.

Joseph Smith, the Boy. To me there is a sweet fas-
cination in the contemplation of his childhood and youth. I
love to contemplate the innocence and the artless simplicity
of his boyhood. It bears record that he was honest, that
he was led by the Spirit of God to perform his wonderful
mission. How could a child at his age be impelled by other
than honest motives in the accomplishment of his high and
holy calling? What he did he was led to do by the inspira-
tion and guidance of his heavenly Father, of this I feel
assured.

618 GOSPEL DOCTRINE

He was much like other children ; his play was like that
of his companions ; his thoughts, like those of most children,
were innocent, and consequently he was incapable of the
knavery and connivance that his enemies declared he prac-
ticed. Though poor, his parents were honest and good;
they delighted in the truth, and it was their honest desire to
live according to the best light within them. Love and good
will to all found expression in their hearts and actions, and
their children were imbued with like sentiments. They
were firm believers in God, and trusted in his watchcare over
his children. They had frequently received manifestations
of his loving kindness, in dreams, visions, and inspirations,
and God had healed their little ones, in answer to prayer,
when they were nigh unto death. It was in such an at-
mosphere that the boy was reared. Joseph was a remark-
ably quiet and well-disposed child who gave his parents lit-
tle or no trouble. As early as the age of eight, he gave
proof that besides being thoughtful, easily governed, and of
sweet and loving disposition, he possessed the foundation
principles of a good character — filial affection, patience, en-
durance, courage.

Concerning his spiritual manifestations, is it reason-
able to suppose that there could have been premeditated
deceit on the part of the boy, and such a boy, in his simple
statement of what he saw and heard ? No ; neither could the
answer which the heavenly messenger gave to him, have
been composed in the child's own mind. Joseph Smith's
testimony concerning his heavenly manifestations, in later
life, was as simple, straight-forward, plain, and true, as it
had been in childhood ; the fidelity, courage, and love im-
planted in and characteristic of his life in boyhood neither
faltered nor changed with maturity. His wisdom came in
revelations of God to him.

One marked illustration of his character was his love for
children. He never saw a child but he desired to take it up

JOSEPH SMITH, THE PROPHET 619

and bless it, and many he did so bless, taking them in his
arms and upon his knee. I have myself sat upon his knee.
He was so fond of children that he would go far out of his
way to speak to a little one, which is to me a striking char-
acteristic of true manhood.. He had a like true love for the
human race. I know, and have known from my childhood,
that he was a prophet of God, and I believe in his divine
mission with all my heart ; and in the authenticity and inspi-
ration of the revelations which he received, and the Book of
Mormon which he was instrumental in bringing forth. —
Improvement Era, Vol. 21, December, 1917, p. 167.

Joseph Smith, a Restorer. I think it is wrong to
count Joseph the prophet one who fought old forms, in the
sense that he established new principles and doctrines. He
fought existing religious forms, it is true, but he merely
became the means, in God's providence, to restore the old
truths of the everlasting gospel of Jesus Christ, the plan df
salvation, which is older than the human race. It is true,
also, that his teachings were new to the people of his day,
because they had apostatized from the truth — -but the prin-
ciples of the gospel are the oldest truths in existence. They
were new to Joseph's generation, as they are in part to ours,
because men had gone astray, been cast adrift, shifted hither
and thither by every new wind of doctrine which cunning
men — so-called progressives — had advanced. This made the
Prophet Joseph a restorer, not a destroyer, of old truths.
And this does not justify us in discarding the simple, funda-
mental principles of the gospel and running after modern
doctrinal fads and notions. — Improvement Era, Vol. 15,
June, 1912, p. 737.

Plural Wives of Joseph Smith, the Prophet. I
can positively state, on indisputable evidence, that Joseph
Smith was the author, under God, of the revelation on plural
marriage. On this subject, we have the affidavit of 'William
Clayton, private secretary of Joseph Smith, that he wrote

620 GOSPEL DOCTRINE

the revelation as it was given through the lips of the prophet,
and that he himself sealed to Joseph Smith as a plural wife,
Lucy Walker, at Joseph Smith's own residence, on May 1,
1843. This lady is still living, in Salt Lake City, and is will-
ing to testify at any moment to this fact. Following are some
of the names of young ladies who were sealed to the Prophet
Joseph Smith in Nauvoo, as testified to under oath by them-
selves — this during the lifetime of the prophet: Eliza R.
Snow, Sarah Ann Whitney, Helen Mar Kimball, Fanny
Young (sister to Brigham Young), and Rhoda Richards
(sister to Willard Richards who was with the prophet at
his martyrdom in Carthage jail). All these noble women
have testified, under oath, giving names and dates, that they
were sealed, during his lifetime, to the Prophet Joseph
Smith. These facts have been published in Jenson's His-
torical Record, and in the Dcseret News, in years past ; and
I • know, by the established and virtuous character of these
noble women, that their testimonies are true.

A careful reading of the revelation on plural marriage
should convince any honest man that it was never written
by Brigham Young, as it contains references to Joseph Smith
himself, and his family, which would be utterly nonsensical
and useless if written by President Young. The fact is, we
have the affidavit of Joseph C. Kingsbury, certifying that he
copied the original manuscript of the revelation within three
days after the date on which it was written. I knew Joseph
C. Kingsbury well. Furthermore, the revelation was read
by Hyrum Smith to a majority of the members of the High
Council, in Nauvoo, at about the time it was given, to which
fact we have the sworn statements of the members of the
High Council. — Improvement Era, Vol. 5, October, 1902,
p. 988.

What Does the Martyrdom of Joseph and Hyrum
Teach Us? What does the martyrdom teach us? The
great lesson that "where a testament is there must also of

JOSEPH SMITH, THE PROPHET 621

necessity be the death of the testator" (Heb. 9:17) to make
it of force. Moreover, that the blood of martyrs is indeed
the seed of the Church. The Lord permitted the sacrifice,
that the testimony of those virtuous and righteous men
should stand as a witness against a perverse and unrighteous
world. Then, again, they were examples of the wonderful
love of which the Redeemer speaks : "Greater love hath no
man than this, that a man lay down his life for his friends"
(John 15:13). This wonderful love they manifested to.
the Saints and to the world; for both realized and ex-
pressed their conviction, before starting on the journey to
Carthage, that they were going to their death. They might
have escaped; in fact, had but a few days before made the
start for the Rocky Mountains, but were recalled by the
groundless fears of false friends who made the accusation
that they were fleeing from dangers that were equally as
great towards the peace and happiness of the members of
the Church as they could possibly be towards themselves.

Satan said to Job: "All that a man hath will he give
for his life." Of the true servant, and where perfect love
abides, that is not true ! Joseph and Hyrum Smith returned
and calmly went to their death, feeling that their lives were
of no value to themselves if unvalued by their friends, or if
they were needed as a sacrifice for the protection of their
worthy followers. Their courage, their faith, their love for
the people were without bounds, and they gave all that they
had for their people. Such devotion and love left no doubt
in the minds of those who enjoyed the companionship of
the Holy Spirit that these good men and true, were indeed
the authorized servants of the Lord.

This martyrdom has always been an inspiration to the
people of the Lord. It has helped them in their individual
trials; has given them courage to pursue a course in right-
eousness and to know and to live the truth, and must ever
be held in sacred memory by the Latter-day Saints who

622 GOSPEL DOCTRINE

have learned the great truths that God revealed through his
servant Joseph Smith. — Juvenile Instructor, Vol. 51, June,
1916, p. 381.

Divine Authority of Joseph Smith and His Suc-
cessors. I bear my testimony to you and to the world that
Joseph Smith was raised up by the power of God to lay the
foundations of this great latter-day work, to reveal the ful-
ness of the gospel to the world in this dispensation, to re-
store the priesthood of God to the world, by which men may
act in the name of the Father and of the Son and of the
Holy Ghost, and it will be accepted of God ; it will be by
his authority. I bear my testimony to it; I know that it is
true.

I bear my testimony to the divine authority of those
who have succeeded the Prophet Joseph Smith in the pres-
idency of the Church. They were men of God ; I knew
them; I was intimately associated with them, and as one man
may know another, through the intimate knowledge that he
possesses of him, so I can bear testimony to the integrity,
to the honor, to the purity of life, to the intelligence, and
to the divinity of the mission and calling of Brigham, of
John, of Wilford and of Lorenzo. They were inspired of
God to fill the mission to which they were called, and I
know it. I thank God for that testimony, and for the spirit
that prompts me and impels me toward these men, toward
their mission, toward this people, toward my God and my
Redeemer. I thank the Lord. for it, and I pray earnestly
that it may never depart from me— world's without end. —
Improvement Era, Vol. 14, Nov., 1910, p. 74.

God's Guiding Hand Seen in Church History. In
connection with this thought it may be proper, consistent
and timely, for me to remark that each individual member
of the Church assembled here this morning is a free man or
a free woman, possessing to the utmost degree all the qual-
ifications and characteristics of freemen, independent with

JOSEPH SMITH, THE PROPHET o23

reference to individual action and choice, of every other
man and of every other woman present. This being a fact,
which is a fact, the unanimity exhibited on the part of the
audience, with reference to the actions that have been taken,
vindicate the belief and the assertion which I make, that the
members of this congregation are certainly in harmony with
the will of the Father. They are united; they see eye to
eye; their sympathy is with one another and with the cause
they represent. Their hearts are in the work in which they
are engaged, and that because of their choice, because they
have fully weighed all matters connected with their stand-
ing in the Church, and with regard to the course which they
have taken today; they have, voluntarily, without coercion,
without compulsion, without any restraint, except the re-
straint of their own consciences, shown that they see eye
to eye, that they are one and are therefore entitled to be
acknowledged of the Master as his own and as of him. I
believe that there is not a freer, more independent nor a more
intelligent people to be found anywhere in the world, who
are more independent in choosing the course which they pur-
sue, in the work that they perform and in everything that
they have to do with, than the Latter-day Saints.

There is not a member of the Church of Jesus Christ
of Latter-day 'Saints, in good standing, anywhere in all the
world today that is not such by reason of his independence
of character, by reason of his intelligence, wisdom and abil-
ity to judge between right and wrong and between good and
evil. There is not a member of the Church of Jesus Christ
anywhere, in good standing, living a proper life, that would
not hold up his hand against evil, against wrong, against
sin, against the transgression of the laws of God against
unrighteousness or vice of any kind, with as much freedom
and independence and with as firm determination as any
other man or woman in the world.

I am thankful to have the privilege, this moment, of ex-

624 GOSPEL DOCTRINE

pressing this my view and firm belief and my knowledge of
the real character of the Latter-day Saints throughout the
world. And, when I say Latter-day Saints, I mean mem-
bers of the Church of Jesus Christ of Latter-day Saints
founded by God, through the instrumentality and agency
of the Prophet Joseph Smith, who was chosen of God and
ordained and qualified and authorized to lay the foundations
of the Church of Jesus. Christ, never more to be destroyed
nor left to other people, never more to cease but to continue
until the purposes of God should ripen and be accomplished
for the salvation of the children of men and for the redemp-
tion of the living, and of the dead who have died without a
knowledge of the plan of life and salvation. In stating this
I state the results of my experience in associations with such
men as those who laid the foundations of the Church of
Jesus Christ, from the Prophet Joseph Smith down to this
moment.

As a child I knew the Prophet Joseph Smith. As a
child I have listened to him preach the gospel that God had
committed to his charge and care. As a child I was fa-
miliar in his home, in his household, as I was familiar under
my own father's roof. I have retained the witness of the
Spirit that I was imbued with, as a child, and that I re-
ceived from my sainted mother, the firm belief that Joseph
Smith wa^ a prophet of God ; that he was inspired as no
other man in his generation, or for centuries before, had
been inspired; that he had been chosen of God to lay the
foundations of God's Kingdom as well as of God's Church;
that by the power of God he was enabled to bring forth the
record of the ancient inhabitants of this continent, to revive
,and to reveal to the world the doctrine of Jesus Christ, not
only as he taught it in the midst of the Jews, in Judea, but
as he also taught it and as it was also recorded in greater
simplicity and plainness upon this continent, among the de-
scendants of Lehi. As a child I was impressed, deeply,

JOSEPH SMITH, THE PROPHET 625

with the thought, and firmly with the belief, in my soul that^
the revelations that had been given to and through Joseph
the Prophet, as contained in this book, the Book of Doc-
trine and Covenants, were the word of God, as were the
words of the ancient disciples when they bore record of the
Father and of the Son. That impression made upon me in
my childhood has followed through all the vicissitudes of
more than sixty years of actual and practical experience in
the mission field, throughout the nations of the world, and at
home in the midst of the authorized servants* of God, who
officiated in the name of the Father and of the Son to propa-
gate, to build up, and to push forward the work inaugurated
by the instrumentality of the boy Joseph Smith.

In my childhood, too, I was instructed to believe in the
divinity of the mission of Jesus Christ. I was taught by
my mother, a Saint indeed — that Jesus Christ is the Son of
God ; that he was indeed no other than the Only Begotten of
God in the flesh, and that, therefore, no other than God the
eternal Father is his Father and the author of his existence
in the world. I was taught it from my father, from the
Prophet Joseph Smith, through my mother who embraced
the gospel because she believed in the testimony of Joseph
Smith, and she believed in the honor, integrity and truth-
fulness of her husband ; and all my boyhood days and all my
years in the world I have clung to that belief ; indeed, I have
never had any serious dubiety in my mind, even in child-
hood ; and when I could only imperfectly understand things
with reference to the divinity of the mission of the Son of
God, I accepted it as being true in the sense in which only it
can be true ; for in no other than the literal sense, as it is
described in the scriptures of divine truth and in the testi-
monies of the prophets, can it be true that Jesus Christ is
the Son of God. I believe it. I have believed it all my life ;
but I owe to the Prophet Joseph Smith the fixed and unal-
terable confirmation of that belief, until it has come to be.

626 GOSPEL DOCTRINE.

in my soul, a knowledge of the truth; and in so far as I
have continued in the word of the Lord, I believe, I have
been led to know the truth. I believe that I possess that
freedom that comes from a knowledge of the truth, which
teaches all men righteousness, virtue, honor, faith, charity,
forgiveness mercy, longsuffering patience and devotion to
that which is good, and abstinence from that which is evil.

"The truth will make you free." Free from what?
From error, free from doubt, and uncertainty, free from
unbelief, free from the powers of darkness, free from the
possibility of being tempted beyond your strength; but to
resist error and to shun even the appearance of sin. This
truth makes a man a Latter-day Saint. This knowledge of
the truth makes you free to worship God and to love him
with all your heart and mind and strength, and to do the
next best thing — to love your neighbor as nearly as you
pssibly can as you love yourselves.

The truth that I have received teaches me that Joseph
Smith was a prophet of God, teaches me to accept without
recourse, other than the full and free acceptance of that
truth, that God Almighty, the Father of Jesus Christ, the
Father of our spirits, the maker of heaven and earth, con-
descended to come down to this our mother earth, in person,
in company with his beloved Son, and show themselves to
Joseph Smith. I believe it. The truth has made me feel that
this must be true. It cannot be error, foi the Lord God
Almighty could never build the structure that he has built
upon the testimony of the Prophet Joseph Smith, if it had
been founded in error or untruth. This people never could
have combined and adhered together, never could have been
united, never could have seen eye to eye, never could have
been one, in order that they might be acknowledged of God
as his own, if we had been building upon error. If our
foundations were laid in untruth and in unrighteousness this
could not be. But the Lord is at the bottom of this. Joseph

JOSEPH SMITH, THE PROPHET 627

Smith was not at the foundation of it. He was not responsi-
ble, only so far as he was obedient to the will of the Father.
God is responsible for this work. The Lord Almighty has
made the promises concerning this work, not Joseph Smith,
not Hyrum Smith. No other man has made true promises
with reference to the future of Zion and to the building up
of the kingdom of God in the earth, except God inspired
him to do it. Not of himself has man ever done anything
of the kind. The Lord is at the bottom ; the Lord is at the
top; the Lord is all the way through this work, and every
fibre of it is in his keeping and is moved by his magic power
and by the inspiration of his Holy Spirit. That is my testi-
mony to you.

I believe in the divinity of Jesus Christ, because more
than ever I come nearer the possession of the actual knowl-
edge that Jesus is the Christ, the Son of the living God,
through the testimony of Joseph Smith contained in this
book, the Doctrine and Covenants, that he saw Him, that
he heard Him, that he received instructions from Him, that
he obeyed those instructions, and that he today stands be-
fore the world as the last great, actual, living witness of the
divinity of Christ's mission and his power to redeem man
from the temporal death and also from the second death
which will follow man's own sins, through disobedience to
the ordinances of the gospel of Jesus Christ. Thank God
for Joseph Smith. I believe in his mission, having accepted
this great truth and his narration of it.

The greatest event that has ever occurred in the world
since the resurrection of the Son of God from the tomb,
and his ascension on high, was the coming of the Father
and of the Son to that boy Joseph Smith, to prepare the
way for the laying of the foundation of his kingdom — not
the kingdom of man — never more to cease nor to be over-
turned. Having accepted this truth, I find it easy to accept
of every other truth that he enunciated and declared dur-

628 GOSPEL DOCTRINE

ing his mission of fourteen years in the world. He never
taught a doctrine that was not true. He never practiced
a doctrine 'that he was not commanded to practice. He
never advocated error. He was not deceived. He saw ; he
heard ; he did as he was commanded to do ; and, therefore,
God is responsible for the work accomplished by Joseph
Smith — not Joseph Smith. The Lord is responsible for it,
and not man.

I am happy to express to this audience my knowledge
of the successors of Joseph Smith. They reared me, in part,
so to speak. In other words, with them I journeyed across
the deserts, by the side of my ox-team, following President
Brigham Young and his associates to these barren wastes,
barren as they were when we first entered this valley. I be-
lieved in him then, and I know him now ! I believed in his
associates, and I know them now; for I lived with them; I
slept with them ; I traveled with them ; I heard them preach
and teach and exhort, and I saw their wisdom which was
not the wisdom of man but the wisdom of Almighty
God. When President Young set his foot down here, upon
this desert spot, it was in the midst of persuasion, prayers
and petitions on the part of some Latter-day Saints who
had gone forward and landed upon the coast of California,
that beautiful, rich country, semi-tropical, abounding in re-
sources that no inland country could possess, inviting and
appealing for settlers at that time, and just such settlers as
President Brigham Young could have taken there — honest
people, people who were firm in their faith, who were estab-
lished in the knowledge of truth and righteousness, and in
the testimony of Jesus Christ, which is the spirit of proph-
ecy, and in the testimony of Joseph Smith which was a con-
firmation of the spirit of Christ and of his mission.

These people pleaded with President Young: "Come
with us," they said, "and go to the coast. Go where roses
bloom all the year round, where the fragrance of flowers

JOSEPH SMITH, THE PROPHET 629

scents the air, from May until May; where beauty reigns;
where the elements of wealth are to be found, and only
need to be developed. Come with us."

"No/' said President Young, "we will remain here, and
we will make the desert blossom like the rose. We will
fulfil the Scriptures by remaining here."

I heard him tell one of the Battalion boys who came
back from California with a little buckskin sack of gold nug-
gets, and who shook them in the face of President Young,
and said to him : "Look what we could get if we were to
go to California! The land is full of gold;" but President
Young pointed his ringer (I was there and saw and heard

it), and he said: "Brother— , you may go to California,

if you will. Those who want to go there can go, but we will
remain here ; and I want to tell you that those who remain
here and obey counsel, in a few years will be able to buy out
every one of you who go to California — ten-fold over."

(Bishop George Romney: "That is true; I know the
man.")

Why, bless your soul, what did President Young know
about Utah, at that early day ? We did not know that there
was even a lump of coal in existence in the land. I myself
passed the first fall and winter after our entrance into this
valley hauling wood out of Mill Creek canyon and Parley's
canyon ; and during that fall and winter I hauled forty loads
of wood with my oxen and wagon out of these canyons.
Every load I cut and hauled diminished the supply of wood
for fuel for the future; and I said to myeslf: What will we
do when the wood is all gone ? How will we live here when
we can't get any more fuel, for it was rapidly going. I
followed that pursuit until it took me three days in the moun-
tains with my ox-team and wagon, to get a load of wood
for winter fuel; and. what were we to do? Yet President
Young said, "This is the place."

Well, ordinarily, our judgment and our faith would

630 GOSPEL DOCTRINE

have been tried, in the decision of the president, if we had
not implicit confidence in him. If we had not known that
he was the mouthpiece of God, that he was the real and le-
gitimate successor of the Prophet Joseph Smith in the Pres-
idency of the Church of Jesus Christ of Latter-day Saints,
we would have doubted his wisdom and we would have fal-
tered in our faith in his promise and word; but no, we be-
lieved" him, and we stayed ; and so far as I am concerned, I
am here yet; and I propose to remain here as long as the
Lord wants me to stay. And what has developed?

Our good friends from the east used to come out here
in the early days, and upbraid us. They said: "Why, it is
the fulfilment of the curse of God upon you. You have been
driven away from the rich lands of Illinois and Missouri
into a desert, into a salt land."

"I said: "Yes, we have salt enough here to save the
world, thank God, and we may find use for it by and by."

Well, before the wood gave out entirely in the moun-
tains, we discovered coal up here in Summit county, and
then we began to discover it all along the mountains here,
and we kept on discovering it, until at last we have learned
that we have coal enough in Utah to furnish fuel for the
whole world for a hundred years, if they want to come and
get it. We have it right here, any amount of it; and they
haven't got that in California; they come up here to get
their coal.

We have discovered that this country was really the
gold-mine country of the world ; that here abounded silver
as well as gold in greater abundance than in California. We
have discovered now that some of our mountains here are
practically made of copper, and men are hewing copper out
of the mountains by millions of tons, so to speak, and coin-
ing it in the way of business into money.; and thank the Lord,
we do not have to go to Liverpool for the salt we use in
making butter. We have it right here, just as good and

JOSEPH SMITH, THE PROPHET 631

pure as the best they can fetch from England or anywhere
else in the world ; and this salt land has proven to be a boon,
a consolation and a blessing beyond all power of description.

When the army came out here, in 1858, we wanted some
bullets to go out and meet General Johnston and his forces
that were coming in — not to kill them; we did not want the
bullets to kill them ; we just wanted the bullets to scare them
with. Some of the boys went out here into the mountains
with a pick and shovel, and they dug up lead, impregnated
somewhat with silver. They brought it in, improvised a lit-
tle furnace and ran out a few tons of lead. I had the honor
of being associated with that little company of men, and I
brought home with me some thirty or forty pound's of lead
that we just quarried out of the hill with a pick and shovel.

When I rode up to the office here, to report to Presi-
dent Young my return from my mission of over three years,
the army was approaching, and he said to me: "Well,
Joseph, have you got a horse ?"

I said, "Yes, sir."

"Have you got a gun?"

I said, "Yes, sir."

"Have you got any ammunition?"

I said "No, sir."

"Well," he said, "you report to Brother Rockwood, at
the commissary office and he will furnish you with ammu-
nition, and you take your gun and go out to the front."

So I went home and sat up all that night, running bullets
out of my mountain lead ; reported the next day to Brother
Rockwood, received a chunk of Mother Gadbury's cheese
and some crackers, and started on my horse, with a brother-
in-law, for the front. I. spent part of the winter of 1858,
and all of the spring and a portion of the summer of 1859,
guarding Uncle Sam's troops ; and we never hurt one of
them, not one. We never molested a single individual of
them; but we hedged up their way and they camped out at

632 GOSPEL DOCTRINE

Fort Bridger all winter long, and we sent them salt to save
them; and they rejected it, because they were afraid there
was something in the salt, more than the savor of it. But
I assure you the salt was pure and good.

Now, just before that time, I was a farmer, I had to
plow my land and farm it, but I did not have a spear of
grass or hay to feed my team, and how was I going to do
my spring work? This valley produced mighty little hay
at that time. I hitched up my team, my brother and I, and
we drove sixty miles to the north and bought a couple of
loads of wild grass hay, and carted' that hay down sixty
miles to feed our teams in order to plow our land. I used
to think, how in the world are we going to live in Utah
without feed for our teams. Just then the Lord sent a
handful of alfalfa seed into this valley, and Christopher
Layton planted it, watered it, and it matured; and from
that little beginning, Utah can now produce a richer crop
of hay than Illinois or Missouri can do. So the hay ques-
tion was settled and the coal question was settled. Then the
question of producing food from the land. Why, it was a
marvel. One good man cultivated his little farm for thirty
years, without a change, and raised from fifty to sixty bush-
els of wheat per acre each year on his farm, during that en-
tire period". So the soil is rich, and everything is favorable
for Zion here where President Young determined that he
would stay; if we had not stayed here, it is clear we would
have been overwhelmed and swallowed up by the multi-
tudes who rushed to California.

Now, my brethren and sisters, I know whereof I speak
with reference to these matters, for I have come down
through every atom of it, at least from the expulsion from
the city of Nauvoo; in February, 1846, when I stood upon
the bank of the river and saw President Young and the
Twelve apostles, and as many of the people of Nauvoo as
had teams or could possibly migrate, cross the Mississippi

JOSEPH SMITH, THE PROPHET 633

river on the ice. The river froze within a day or two, be-
cause of heavy frost, which enabled them to cross as they
did, and thus the first real marvel and manifestation of the
mercy and of the power of God was manifest, in making
a roadway across the Mississippi a mile wide at that place
by which our people could go on their journey to the West.
I saw them go. My brother was with them, and I wondered
if I would ever see him again. We remained there in Nau-
voo until September, 1846, when the city was besieged, at
the mouth of the cannon and musket, and my mother and
her family were compelled to take all that they could move
out of the house — their bedding their clothing, the little
food they possessed, leaving the furniture and everything
else standing in the house, and fled across the river, where
we camped without tent or shelter until the war was over.
The city was conquered, and the poor people that were left
there were compelled to seek shelter somewhere else. From
that moment on, I have been in the conflict. I have seen it and
experienced it all the way through; and I am satisfied with
my experience.

I bear record to you of the divinity of the work in which
you are engaged, and I bear record to you and testify that
it has been the power of God, not that of President Young
or of his associates, that has kept the people together and
united them. By that power you have been able to come here
this morning and with one united voice, and uplifted hands,
sustain in the positions to which they have been chosen the
men who have been called and appointed and ordained by
virtue of authority from God, to preside over you and teach
you things that are good to be taught and good to be known
and observed, which will bring life and salvation to those
who will hearken and be obedient.

The Lord bless you ; the Lord bless the pure in heart
throughout the world. May the Lord have mercy upon the
suffering nations that are afflicted by this terrible calamity

634 GOSPEL DOCTRINE

of war. May he save the poor and the needy and the hon-
orable among the children of men, to come eventually to a
knowledge of his truth, that they may be saved in his king-
dom.

Much could be said. Joseph Smith taught the build-
ing of temples. I can scarcely quit. Joseph Smith was
the instrument in the hand of God in revealing the ordi-
nances of the house of God that are essential to the salva-
tion of the living and the dead. Joseph Smith taught these
principles, and his brethren to whom he taught them have
carried out his views. They have put his doctrines to the
test. They have obeyed his counsel, and they have honored
him and his mission and sustained him as man has never been
sustained by any other people under God's heavens. So we
will continue to sustain Joseph the prophet, and his work
that he has accomplished among the children of men, and we
will abide in the truth forever, by the help of God; even so,
Amen. — Sermon, Salt Lake Assembly Hall, July 8, 1917.

CHAPTER XXVI
Personal Testimonies and Blessings.

A Testimony. I declare unto you in all candor, and in
all earnestness of soul, that I believe with all my heart in
the divine mission of Joseph Smith, the Prophet, that I am
convinced in every fiber of my being that God raised him
up to restore to the earth the gospel of Christ, which is in-
deed the power of God unto salvation. I testify to you that
Joseph Smith was instrumental in the hand of the Lord in
restoring God's truth to the world, and also the holy priest-
hood, which is his authority delegated unto man. I know
this is true, and I testify of it to you. To me it is all-in-all ;
it is my life, it is my light; it is my hope, and my joy; it
gives me the only assurance that I have for exaltation, for
my resurrection from death, with those whom I have loved
and cherished in this life, and with whom my lot has been
cast in this world — honorable men, pure, humble men, who
were obedient unto God and his commands, who were not
ashamed of the gospel of Christ, nor of their convictions or
knowledge of the truth of the gospel ; men who were made
of the stuff of which martyrs are made, and who were will-
ing at any moment to lay down their lives for Christ's sake,
and for the gospel, if need be, which they had received with
the testimony of the Holy Spirit in their hearts. I want to
be reunited with these men when I shall have finished my
course here. When my mission is done here, I hope to go
beyond into the spirit world where they dwell, and be re-
united with them. It is this gospel of the* Son of God that
gives me the hope that I have of this consummation, and of
the realization of my desire in this direction. I have staked
all on this gospel, and I have not done it in vain. I know

636 GOSPEL DOCTRINE

in whom I trust. I know that my Redeemer lives, and that
he shall stand upon the earth in the latter day, and, as Job
has expressed it, "Though worms shall destroy this body,
yet in my flesh shall I see God."— Oct. C. R., 1907, pp. 4, 5.
This is God's Work — A Testimony. My brethren
and sisters, I desire to bear my testimony to you. : for I have
received an assurance which has taken possession of my
whole being. It has sunk deep into my heart; it fills every
fiber of my soul; so that I feel to say before this people,
and would be pleased to have the privilege of saying it be-
fore the whole world, that God has revealed unto me that
Jesus is the Christ, the Son of the living God, the Redeemer
of the world ; that Joseph Smith is, was, and always will be,
a prophet of God, ordained and chosen to stand at the head
of the dispensation of the fulness of times, the keys of which
were given to him, and he will hold them until the winding-
up scene — keys which will unlock the door into the kingdom
of God to every man who is worthy to enter, and' which
will close that door against every soul that will not obey the
law of God. I know, as I live, that this is true, and I bear
my testimony to its truth. If it were the last words I should
ever say on earth, I would glory before God my Father that
I possess this knowledge in my soul, which I declare unto
you as I would the simplest truths of heaven. I know that
this is the kingdom of God, and that God is at the helm.
He presides over his people. He presides over the presi-
dent of this Church,and has done so from the Prophet Joseph
down to the Prophet Lorenzo; and he will continue to pre-
side over the leaders of this Church until the winding-up
scene. He will not suffer it to be given to another people,
nor to be left to men. He will hold the reins in his own
hands ; for he has" stretched out his arm to do his work, and
he will do it, and have the honor of it. At the same time
God will honor and magnify his servants in the sight of
the people. He will sustain them in righteousness. He will

TESTIMONIES AND BLESSINGS 637

lift them on high, exalt them into his presence, and they
will partake of his glory forever and ever.

It is the Lord's work,' and I plead with you not to for-
get it. I implore you not to disbelieve it ; for it is true.
All that the Lord has said concerning this latter-day work
will come to pass. The world cannot prevent it. The blind
that will not see, the deaf that will not hear, cannot prevent
the work from going on. They may throw blocks before the
wheels, they may ridicule, they may malign, they may stir up
the spirit of persecution and bitterness against the Saints,
they may do all in their power to deceive the people and
lead them astray; but God is at the helm, and he will lead
his people to victory. Men and women may be deceived
by the craftiness of the adversary and by the spirit of dark-
ness that is in the world; they may be deceived with Chris-
tian Science, with hypnotism, with animal magnetism, with
mesmerism, with spiritualism, and with all the other man-
made and demon-stimulated isms which exist in the world;
but the elect of God shall see and know the truth. They
will not be blind, because they will see; they will not be
deaf, because they will hear ; and they will walk in the light,
as God is in the light, that they may have fellowship with
Jesus Christ and that his blood may cleanse them from all
their sins. ^

May God help us to realize this. May he deliver us from
secret combinations, and from the snares that are set to
entrap our feet and to win our affections from the kingdom
of God. I repeat what I have said scores of times, the
kingdom of God is good enough for me. This organiza-
tion of the Church of Jesus Christ of Latter-day Saints
meets all my wants, and I have no need to fly to organiza-
tions that are gotten up by men for the purpose of making
money. I pray God that his kingdom may be sufficient for
you, that you may abide in the truth, and not be led away

638 GOSPEL DOCTRINE

by those deceptive spirits that have gone forth in the world
to lead men astray.

Spiritualism started in the United States about the time
that Joseph Smith received his visions from the heavens.
What more natural than that Lucifer should begin reveal-
ing himself to men in his cunning way, in order to deceive
them and to distract their minds from the truth that God was
revealing? And he has kept it up pretty well ever since.
May God bless Israel, and preserve us in the truth. May
he bless our president, prolong his years, and continue unto
him the strength of body and mind that he possesses this
day, and even more vigor as the years roll by. May the
Lord have mercy upon our beloved brother, President Can-
non, who is absent from us, and return him once more to
his home, and to the bosom of the Church, if he has not
willed otherwise. This is my humble prayer, in the name of
Jesus. Amen.— Apr. C. R., 1901, pp. 72, 73.

A Testimony. There is no salvation but in the way
God has pointed out. There is no hope of everlasting life
but through obedience to" the law that has been affixed by
the Father of life, "with whom there is no variableness,
neither shadow of turning;" and there is no other way by
which we may obtain that light and exaltation. Those mat-
ters are beyond peradventure, beyond all doubt in my mind ;
I know them to be true. Therefore, I bear my testimony to
you, my brethren and sisters, that the Lord God Omnipotent
reigneth, that he lives and that his Son lives, even he who
died for the sins of the world, and that he arose from the
dead; that he sits upon the right hand of the Father; that
all power is given unto him; that we are directed to call
upon God in the name of Jesus Christ. We are told that we
should remember him in our homes, keep his holy name fresh
in our minds, and revere him in our hearts; we should call
upon him from time to time, from day to day; and, in fact,
every moment of our lives we should live so that the desires

TESTIMONIES AND BLESSINGS 639

of our hearts will be a prayer unto God for righteousness,
for truth, and for the salvation of the human family. Let
us guard ourselves so that there may not come into our souls
a single drop of bitterness, by which our whole being might
be corroded and poisoned with anger, with hatred, envy or
malice, or any sort of evil. We should be free from all these
evil things, that we may be filled with the love of God, the
love of truth, the love of our fellowmen, that we may seek
to do good unto all men all the days of our lives, and above
all things be true to our covenants in the gospel of Jesus
Christ.— Apr. C. R. } 1909, p. 6.

The Pledge of My Life. I feel happy, this morning
in having the privilege to say to you that in the days of my
childhood and early youth, I made a pledge with God and
with his people that I would be true to them. In looking
over the experiences of my life, I cannot now discern, and
do not remember a circumstance, since the beginning of my
experience in the world, where I have felt, for a moment, to
slacken or relax in the pledge and promise that I made to
Gud and to the Latter-day Saints, in my youth. And if
there is a man, or a woman, in the world that can point out
to me an instance, in all my life, where I have been untrue
to my pledge, or promise, or covenant, I shall be glad to
receive that information from that man or woman. As an
elder in Israel I tried to be true to that calling ; I tried to my
utmost to honor and magnify that calling. When I became
a seventy, I felt in my heart to be true to that calling, and
I strove, with all the intelligence and fervor of my soul, to
be true to it. I have no knowledge nor recollection of any
act of mine, or any circumstance in my life where I proved
untrue or unfaithful to these callings in the priesthood of
the Son of God. Later in my life, when I was called to act as
an apostle, and was ordained an apostle, and set apart to be
one of the Twelve, I strove to honor that calling, to be true
to it, and to my brethren, to the household of faith, and to

640 GOSPEL DOCTRINE

the covenants and obligations involved in receiving this holy
priesthood which is after the order of the Son of God. I
am not aware that I ever violated one of my obligations or
pledges in these callings to which I have been called. I have
sought to be true and faithful to all these things. I have
endeavored to be true to my family; and if ever I have vio-
lated one pledge or promise, or neglected one obligation
that rests upon me in these relationships, I do not know it.
And when I have made pledges to the people of God, or to
the world, if ever I have violated those pledges I do not
know it. Furthermore, I do not believe there is a man liv-
ing who does know it, or who can truthfully testify that I
ever did violate those pledges.

I stand before you today, my brethren and sisters and
friends, on the ground that I have tried to be true to God,
to the utmost of my knowledge and ability; that I have tried
to be true to my people, to the utmost of my knowledge and
ability; and I have been true to the world in every pledge
and promise that I have made to the world, notwithstanding
there have been men who have shown a disposition to make
it appear that I was a hypocrite, that I was tvvo-faced; that
I was one thing to the world and another thing in secret.
I want it distinctly understood that those who have conveyed
such an idea as this to mankind have been wilfully injuring
me, wronging me, and falsifying me and my character before
the people, and I want it distinctly understood those things
must stop. They must stop at least among men who profess
to be members of the Church of Jesus Christ of Latter-day
Saints. I can endure to be maligned and persecuted by my
enemies, who are also enemies of the Kingdom of God, but
I do not want to be maligned and belied by men who pro-
fess to be members of the Church of Jesus Christ of Latter-
day Saints, neither intentionally nor otherwise. Now, I trust
that you understand clearly what I mean. I do not know
how I can make it much plainer or clearer, with the knowl-

TESTIMONIES AND BLESSINGS 641

edge that I have of language. Then, I repeat, as the Lord
has helped me in the past to be true to my covenants, that
I have entered into with him and with you, with my breth-
ren and with the Church of Jesus Christ of Latter-day
Saints, so by his help and by his blessing I propose to be
true throughout the future of my life, whether I am per-
mitted to live long or short ; it matters not to me. While I
Jive, I hope to be a true man, an honest man, a man who can
face all mankind and, at last, who can stand before God,
the Judge of the quick and the dead and not quail for what
I have done in the world. — Oct. C. R. } 1910, pp. 2, 3.

A Blessing. I bless you with all my soul, because you
love the truth, and you manifest it. There is nothing in
God's world that draws men and women so near to my heart
as that they love the truth and that they love God, that they
love the cause of Zion and are devoted to the interests of
the Church. This endears men and women to my heart; I
love them when they love this work and when they show
their interest in it. It lifts my soul to heaven and fills it
with joy unspeakable.— Oct. C. R., 1908, p. 97.

A Testimony. My brethren and sisters, I know that
my Redeemer lives. I know, as I know I live, that in per-
son he has visited man in our time and day, and that we are
not now dependent alone on the history of the past for the
knowledge that we possess, of which record is borne by the
Spirit of God, shed abroad in the hearts of all who enter into
the covenant of the gospel of Christ. But we have the re-
newed and later witness and manifestation of heavenly
visions and of the visitation of God the Father and Christ
the Son, to this their footstool; and they have in person de-
clared their entity, their being, and they have manifested
their glory. They have stretched forth their hands to ac-
complish their work — the work of God, and not the work of
man — and while those who have been faithful shall be
crowned with glory and honor in the presence of God, the

42

642 GOSPEL DOCTRINE

honor and the glory, the credit and the praise, for the con-
tinuance and for the advancement and growth of the king-
dom of God in the earth, will be due to the Father and the
Son and the Holy Spirit, whose power and whose agency,
whose influence and purpose, have been behind the work
of God every moment since it was first given to man. It is
by this power that it has grown and continued, and has be-
come what it is, and it will continue to grow and spread,
until it shall fill the earth with the glory of God, and with
the knowledge of the Father and of the Son, whom to know
is life eternal. This is my testimony to you, my brethren
and sisters, and I bear witness of it in the name of the Lord
Jesus Christ. Amen. — Improvement Era, Vol. 12, Septem-
ber, 1909, p. 914.

I Know that My Redeemer Lives. I know that my
Redeemer lives. We have all the testimony and all the evi-
dence of this great and glorious truth that the world has,
that is, all that the so-called Christian world possesses ; and
in addition to all that they have, we have the testimony of
the inhabitants of this western continent, to whom the Savior
appeared and delivered his gospel, the same as he delivered
it to the Jews. In addition to all this new testimony, and
the testimony of the holy scriptures from the Jews, we have
the testimony of the modern prophet, Joseph Smith, who
saw the Father and the Son, and who has borne record of
them to the world, whose testimony was sealed with his
blood and is in force upon the world today. We have the
testimony of others, who witnessed the presence of the Son
of God in the Kirtland temple, when he appeared to them
there, and the testimony of Joseph, and of Sidney Rigdon,
who declared that they were the last witnesses of Jesus
Christ. Therefore, I say again I know that my Redeemer
lives ; for in the mouths of these witnesses this truth has
been established in my mind.

Besides these testimonies, I have received the witness

TESTIMONIES AND BLESSINGS 643

of the Spirit of God in my own heart, which exceeds all
other evidences, for it bears record to me, to my very soul,
of the existence of my Redeemer, Jesus Christ. I know that
he lives, and that in the last day he shall stand upon the
earth, that he shall come to the people who shall be prepared
for him, as a bride is prepared for the Bridegroom when he
shall come. I believe in the divine mission of the Prophet
Joseph Smith, and I have every evidence that I need — at
least enough to convince me, of the divinity of his mission.

I am proud to say that I have accepted, and have tried
to keep and honor, every word that has proceeded from the
mouth of God through him. As it is written, "Man shall
not live by bread alone, but by every word that proceedeth
out of the mouth of God/' no one will dare to accuse me of
side-tracking from or of refusing to obey any doctrine taught
by or revealed through the Prophet Joseph Smith. — Im-
provement Era, Vol. 14, 1910, p. 73.

Testimony. Now, there are many other things, but I
cannot tell them all to you. I begin to feel that I am
getting to be an old man, or rather a young man in an old
body. I think I am just about as young as I ever was in
my life in spirit. I love the truth today more than I ever
did before, because I see it more clearly, I understand it
better from day to day by the promptings and inspiration of
the Spirit of the Lord that is vouchsafed to me; but my
body gets tired, and I want to tell you, sometimes my pour
old heart quivers considerably. — Oct. C. R., 1917, pp. 6, 7.

President Joseph F. Smith

An Appreciation.

President Joseph Fielding Smith, sixth and beloved
President of the Church of Jesus Christ of Latter-day
Saints, has without question seen longer service in the
Church than has any other living man. For sixty-five years
he has been in the active ministry, under a great variety of
callings; for fifty-one years he has held the apostolic call-
ing; since 1867 he has been one of the general authorities
of the Church; during seventeen years he has been Presi-
dent of the Church. No other man is so beloved in the
Church. To advertise that President Smith will be at a
meeting is to warn the people that standing room will be at
a premium. His words are accepted as of inspired author-
ity ; his acts as of an honest man, tried long and severely in
the crucible of life.

The confidence of the people in their President, Prophet,
Seer and Revelator, has not come alone from the exalted
positions he has so long occupied. The Latter-day Saints
have»been gathered from all corners of the earth, and from
all walks, after they had become convinced that the gospel
as restored through the Prophet Joseph Smith is of certain
truth. Intelligence rules in the earthly Ziorv The leaders
of the people are subjected to searching consideration by the
people, and the confidence given them is in proportion to
their deserts. It is, therefore, a noble tribute to the worthi-
ness of the man, Joseph F. Smith, that he is the synonym
for all that the people respect and hold dear.

Surely, this man who presides over the Church, and

AN APPRECIATION 645

whose life is an open book, has been prepared for his labor.
If weakness were in him he would have had ample opportu-
nity to fall. From his birth, the spirit of the great latter-
day work has hovered over him; and with every passing
year he has been immersed in the history of the Church.

When he was born, in Far West, on November 13,
1838, apostasy, jealousy, persecution and the beckoning
hands of untruth were shaking the Church. The Church
did not fall, but the hearts of the faithful were sorely tried,
and even the baby, Joseph F., must have assimilated some
of the solemnity of those days when the Church was being
purified for its future work. It was a preparation of noble
extent to sit, in those early years, on the knees of his patri-
arch father or of his prophet uncle, even though the wide
import of their conversation was not understood by the boy.
It was a training in steely strength, even for the child, to
witness the homecoming of the bodies of his murdered father
and uncle. For such robbery of the dearest in life the hu-
man breast naturally and instinctively clamors for revenge.
Yet, the whole life of the boy, grown to manhood, has been
that of forgiving and loving, so that all may be made to see
the truth. Who knows at what cost the man within has
been conquered. The Church has suffered such unjust yet
persistent opposition from the beginning that one wonders
that it retains its gentle love for all the children of men.

It was splendid preparation for the man who was to be
in God's harness all the years of a long life to witness the
exodus of Nauvoo. Home and lands, household property
and trinkets of sentiment — all had to be left behind. The
driven people were in the desert with their God, and lo !
their faith waxed strong. It was during the exodus that
President Smith learned lessons of faith that never have
been forgotten. Their cattle were lost and their hope was
gone, but the praying mother, in communion with the Source
of Truth, arose and went directly to the place where the

646 PRESIDENT JOSEPH F. SMITH

oxen had strayed. Though only eight years old the boy
drove an ox team across Iowa.

"In 1848, when nine years old, I drove a four-ox team
across the plains to Salt Lake City," writes President Smith,
in an album of a friend. That was training for the boy!
From the days of that blistering, dusty journey there was
no relapse to a longing for the easy things of life. After
the arrival in the valley came the toilsome conquest of
Widow Smith's farm. The father was gone and the children
were young. Our President, from his own life, can under-
stand the lot of the widow, and the fatherless.

Then the mother died. The strong spirit and wise mind
could no longer guide the boy. The father had been mur-
dered in cold blood because he was fearless in the cause of
truth; the mother had died from the strain and sorrow of
a life tossed in the furious storm of those days ; no material
wealth was his. Thus stood the fourteen-year old boy who
was to become the leader of his people. Men are shorn of
earthly support that they may grow strong in Godly ways !

The training had been severe, but of infinite value.
When the boy was only fifteen years old he was called to
go on a mission to the Sandwich Islands. By the labor of
his hands he worked his way to California; by more labor,
earned his passage to the islands. To object or to question
was not possible for one who had survived his training. Dur-
ing that first mission the spirit of the work came upon him.
In sermon, by visit, through his quiet influence, he led men
and women into the way of everlasting truth. By the power
of the Priesthood he held, he healed the sick, drove out evil
spirits and brought peace to the souls of those who were
heavy laden.

After nearly five years he was allowed to return home.
Again he had to work his way. At last he was again with
the body of his people in Salt Lake City, but penniless. The
Lord does not always reward in gold and silver. He was not

AN APPRECIATION 647

permitted to remain home long, for mission succeeded mis-
sion'. From the Sandwich Islands he was called to England
for three years ; then from England again to the Sandwich
Islands. To preach the gospel without purse and scrip be-
came the order of his life.-

Joseph F. Smith's ceaseless devotion to the gospel did
not escape the notice of the watchful, keen-eyed leader,
Brigham Young, who loved with a mighty love the memory
of the martyrs Joseph and Hyrum Smith. It was a joy to
the Prophet Brigham Young to find one of the blood of the
martyrs, giving himself to the cause for which they died.
In various ways did President Young test the materials of
which Joseph F. Smith was made. However, the long and
hard training of boyhood and the insistent discipline in the
mission field had not been in vain. President Young found
him loyal to his family, his country, his Church and his God.
Not even his bitterest enemy will deny that President Smith
is loyal.

After some years, on July 1, 1866, a beautiful and sol-
emn day, President Brigham Young ordained Joseph F.
Smith to the apostleship. A year later, in October, 1867, he
was admitted to the quorum of the Twelve. If there can be
any talk in the Church of Christ of earning a position, Joseph
F. Smith had earned his place in the apostolic quorum, by
his purity, his intelligence, his integrity and his activity in
behalf of the Church. Moreover, the people of the Church
delight to honor the blood of the Prophet who was God's
instrument in the mighty work of the restoration of the
gospel. Welcome was he, when he entered upon his work
as one of the general authorities of the Church.

As a member of the quorum of the Twelve, Joseph F.
Smith showed the same activity that had so emphatically
characterized his former labors. From settlement to settle-
ment he traveled, to counsel, to preach and to take active
part in the building of the West, which was yet in its swad-

648 PRESIDENT JOSEPH F. SMITH

dling clothes of conquest. Vigorous were his words wher-
ever he went. Without doubt was his faith. His testimony
of the gospel was as the highest knowledge. He was then
as now a fearless champion of truth.

At the time Apostle Smith assumed a place among the
general authorities of the Church, Utah conditions were rap-
idly changing. Many non-members of the Church, who had
come in to share in the bounties of the desert made to blos-
som by the Saints, could not content themselves with their
rich material harvest, but must needs take up arms against
the Church. When the leaders of the Church were charged
with disloyalty to the country, when their motives were
painted as those of devils, when the whole system of "Mor-
mon" faith was branded as the rottenest immorality, the peo-
ple who remembered the days of Carthage and Nauvoo had
difficulty to keep down the cry of vengeance. Across the
weary desert they had trailed, leaving many by the way ; in
the sweat of their brows they had won the wilderness to
their use, and all this that they might serve unmolested, their
holy God, in a worship founded on purity and truth. It was
then that the clear-visioned, clear-thinking leaders raised
their voices in protest against further injustice. Apostle
Smith, a man of deep affections, had fought away from him-
self the desire for revenge for the beastly murder of his
manly father; but, being a man of strength, he could not
submit indifferently to the new injustice that was proposed.
The Fighting Apostle they called him, as he hurled back
the untruths about "Mormonism," and his relentless watch-
fulness became a deterrent power among those who planned
evil for a good and peaceful people.

A fighting apostle he has always been — fighting ior
the cause of truth. Yet, Joseph F. Smith is temperament-
ally a man of peace. Gentle and kind are his ways. A gen-
tleman, is the instinctive appellation bestowed upon him by
all who meet him. In character, voice and manner he i c

AN APPRECIATION 649

the dignified peacemaker. Nevertheless, his loyalty is such,
and his convictions are so firmly established, that evil may
not be spoken about truth, without arousing the lion within
him. To measure the ground ; to give the foe full place and
warning, to try strength according to the laws of decency,
but never to give quarter to evil or untruth or injustice —
that is the method of Joseph F. Smith.

In time, the years of toil wore upon President Brigham
Young, who asked that more counselors, to act as assistants,
be given him. Among those whom he chose for this pur-
pose was Joseph F. Smith. This indicated that during his
apostolic career he had not forfeited the confidence of the
president, that he had won earlier in his life. When, at
length, the great founder of Utah passed away, and the first
presidency was again reorganized, the abilities and charac-
ter of Apostle Smith made him, under God's inspiration, a
counselor to President John Taylor. Under the adminis-
trations of Presidents Taylor, Woodruff and Snow, for
twenty-one years, President Smith remained as a counselor
in the first presidency, until at length, in the providence of
God, he became the president of the Church.

The vast gathering in the great Tabernacle, November
10, 1901, will ever be remembered by those present. The
Priesthood of the Church was seated according to their of-
fices in the Priesthood. One by one the quorums arose,
elders, seventies, high priests and the others, and voted to
sustain the appointment of Joseph Fielding Smith to the
Presidency. In his vigorous, later manhood, his eye clear,
his voice distinct, his spirit compelling, he was vividly the
greatest among the thousands of able men, the flower of a
vigorous people, who had assembled there that day.

The day was the fulfilment of prophecy, for many years
before, his attainment of the exalted position of the Presi-
dency had been predicted with the voice of authority.

Of the administration of the affairs of the Church un-

650 PRESIDENT JOSEPH F. SMITH

der Joseph F. Smith's presidency nothing need be said — for
we live in it and know its eloquent message. The stakes
at home, the missions in Europe and in the islands of the sea,
have been visited by the President in his official capacity.
Prosperity, good will, spiritual power and growth, over-
shadow the Church. The stakes of Zion have been in-
creased, the wards multiplied, hundreds of beautiful meeting
houses have been constructed, the Priesthood has risen to a
fuller recognition of its place in the Church, the temples have
become crowded, new temples are being built, new converts
have been added in mighty numbers, and in a thousand other
ways has the Church prospered; and above all, in the face
of a most bitter persecution, which has been heralded
throughout the world, the faith of the people has increased
until it is nigh unto impregnable. If any doubt all this, let
him journey over the Church, then visit one of the general
conferences of the Church. There is faith in Israel!

Not only long but varied has been the experience of
this great man who presides over the Church. True to the
genius of "Mormonism" he has been closely identified with
all the affairs of the community in which he has lived. For
seven successive terms he was a member of the Utah legis-
lature. When the Johnston army pantomime was in prog-
ress, President Smith joined the militia and assisted in mak-
ing preparations to protect the homes of the people. He
has helped to locate settlements and to find ways for bring-
ing water upon the thirsting land. He has encouraged all
legitimate business, and as far as time has permitted, has
taken part in it. From his earliest life he has managed his
farm, and even today, with his sons, has built one of the
most modern livestock farms in the West, as an example to
others.

Education, guided in schools, was largely denied him,
but educated is President Smith. He has read widely, spoken
with many men of many minds, and has thought deeply.

AN APPRECIATION 651

Of broad and generous sympathies with everything that is
noble and good, he has acquired a culture, which none dares
question. Schools, the public press, the theater, music and
the fine arts have been encouraged by him. As a most il-
luminating sidelight upon his wisdom is the fact that if not
all of a family can be educated, he insists that the girls must
be given the first chance, for they are the mothers and mak-
ers of men.

. To those who do not know President Smith, it must
seem strange that the honors that have almost overwhelmed
him, have all come unsought. President Smith is a modest
man. Like all truly great men he is not immersed in
thoughts of his own greatness. Rather does he admiringly
place the power he observes in other men above his own*.
Nevertheless, and" most naturally, position after position in-
volving trust has come to him, though he has never sought
one. Those who must find flaws in the Church point out
that President Smith is officially connected with many busi-
ness enterprises. Yet, those who find fault with this condi-
tion will not realize that men who can be absolutely trusted
to guard the affairs of others as they would their own, are
everywhere sought after. President Smith's demonstrated
integrity has brought many offices which no doubt he would
gladly relinquish to others. But "Mormon," Jew and Gen-
tile know that as far as President Smith can control things,
only honor and justice and simple honesty will prevail wher-
ever he is found.

During the Smoot investigations it seemed as if the
whole United States were arrayed against the relatively few
people who, during half a century, had given themselves to
the conquest of the Great American Desert. The charges
filed against this people, if sustained, would make the "Mor-
mon" people unfit to dwell in the "land of the free and the
home of the brave." To face the investigating committee
composed of the best mind's of the Senate and House of

652 PRESIDENT JOSEPH F. SMITH

Representatives of the United States Congress, many were
subpoenaed. The first witness was President Smith. For-
tunately, the hearing is preserved and printed so that all may
read it. Matching mind and will and heart and sense against
the great ones of the land, President Smith was easily their
compeer. Read it. Who has ever heard that hearing used
as a campaign document against "Mormons"? When Jo-
seph F. Smith's history is written, his mighty contest with
the most authoritative body in the land will make his figure
stand out in noble relief. Among the men of earth, high or
low, President Smith is never at a disadvantage.

Those who had had even slight acquaintance with Pres-
ident Smith were not surprised at the evidence of his power
among men. In all his public work he is masterful. He is en-
dowed with high physical attractiveness, his musical voice is
compelling, his language chaste and correct, and his thoughts
appeal to the intellect as well as to the emotions. Those
who have seen him before the ten thousand at the great
tabernacle in Salt Lake City, have no fear that he may not
be measured with the men he meets.

Perhaps the best evidence of the high intellect of Pres-
ident Smith is shown in his clear understanding and expla-
nation of the principles of the gospel. Men often sink to
oblivion in quagmires of theological vagueness. In matters
of theological doctrine the President is lucid as the noon-day
light. Some few years ago, certain men, loving to conjec-
ture the improbable, insisted on knowing what would happen
if all the men holding the Priesthood were to die, save one
elder. At one of the great conferences (general), before ten
thousand assembled Saints, President Smith, in one-half
dozen sentences cleared up the whole subject. It would be
the privilege and duty of the one remaining elder to organ-
ize again the whole Church with apostles, prophets, etc., ac-
cording to the revelation! The powers and purpose and
duty of the priesthood were thus driven into the understand-

AN APPRECIATION 653

ings of the people, as they never had been before. His ser-
mons abound in such clarifying statements, backed by a sim-
ple, unfailing faith that looks for simplicity rather than mys-
tery in the things of God.

Perhaps enough has been said. The man of whom we
write is tender and gentle, and withal does not love much
praise. To him and his families many children have been
born. To them he is loyal with all his power, for he well
knows that loyalty, with all other virtues, begins at home.
Over his families he watches with tender solicitude. They
in turn love him with an invariable love. It is common
knowledge that when the children were young, his rest was
not easy if he had not seen the little ones properly tucked
away for the night. The same father-heart beats for the
people whose accepted leader he is. The hearts of the peo-
ple ache over the long hours he spends in the office working
out the affairs of the Church, especially now that he is no
longer as young as he once was. But, he is not to be dis-
suaded. He must see his people tucked away for the night,
before his heart will be at peace. So works love ! and who
shall say him nay, whose care from boyhood has been the
welfare of his people ?

"Has this man no faults?" asks the green-eyed critic.
To be sure he has, for he is mortal. But, this writing is not
to show his faults; and indeed, the writer does not know
them, any more than he knows the full virtue of this man
who for eighty long years has lived his life openly among his
people, and who is the freest from adverse criticism in his
community. Men are not measured by their faults, but by
their worthy deeds and qualities. In the scales of eternal
justice the main requirement is that our virtues outweigh
our failings. Curiously enough, the only current criticism
of President Smith, among those who oppose him, is that he
is too loyal to his people, his friends, his convictions. Is not.
that the eternal cry of the enemy who reaches out for de-

654 PRESIDENT JOSEPH F. SMITH

serters? In every manly quality, friend and foe agree that
he reaches above the majority of men.

Sure is our President of his reward. For him God will
richly provide. Our question may rather be, has he had
during the earth's journey, his full measure of reward?
Have we done our full duty? For the cause of the Church
he was bereft of father and mother. In the service of the
Church he has been unable to use his splendid talents for the
gathering of wealth — in our day he might justly be called a
poor man. The ease of life has been denied him, for almost
daily he has been "under orders." Above all, as a leader
in Israel, the calumny and hatred of the Church have been
heaped upon him. Only a few years ago, when past his
prime, the most heartless persecution to which any member
of the Church has been submitted was his. For several years
an influential newspaper, standing at that time for the per-
secution of the Church, by means fair or foul, printed daily
vile cartoons of President Smith and equally vile editorials
about him and his work. Every indignity conceivable to the
human mind was offered him because he was the embodi-
ment of the Church.

Should the question be put to him, he would answer
that he has had a rich reward. Perhaps he feels, let it be
hoped he does, the outpouring of loving thoughts from the
people whenever his name is mentioned. He has been blessed
to serve. That is also a great reward for effort. His life
has been crowned with the assurance, from all, that his work
has been well done. That is the most satisfying reward.

May his health be preserved and his life be lengthened
out. There is much work yet to be done, and men do not
frequently rise to the fulness of his measure ! At the begin-
ning of his eighty-first year, the people give loving greetings
and good wishes and heartfelt gratitude, to Joseph F. Smith,
President of the Church of Jesus Christ of Latter-day Saints.
— Dr. John A. Widtsoe, 1918; also in Improvement Era,
Vol. 18, November, 1914, pp. 38-45.

Reminiscences

The Era has asked me to write a few remembrances of
incidents connected with my personal association with the
late President Josephh F. Smith, while J:hey are yet fresh
in memory, and it is a pleasure to comply.

The first time I ever remember seeing Joseph F. Smith
was in the then little village of Wellsville, in the year
1867. He was twenty-eight years of age, and had re-
cently been chosen one of the twelve' apostles. Presi-
dent Brigham Young and company were making a tour
cf the northern settlements, and the new apostle, Joseph
F. Smith, was among the number. I heard him preach
in the old meetinghouse at Wellsville, and I remarked at
the time what a fine specimen of young manhood he was —
strong, powerful, with a beautiful voice, so full of sym-
pathy and affection, so appealing in its tone, that he im-
pressed me, although I was a youth of but eighteen. He
was a handsome man.

At that time I was clerking in a little store owned
by Father Ira Ames, one of the old Kirtland veterans of
the Church. Apostle George A. Smith was one of that
company and he was entertained at Brother Ames' home,
where I also lived. I recall that at the dinner table, Father
Ames asked George A. who of the Smiths this young man
Joseph F. was.

George A. replied that he was Hyrum's son ; his mother
Mary Fielding Smith.

Brother Ames remarked that he looked like a likely
young fellow, and George A. replied in about* these words:

"Yes, I think he will be all right. His father and
mother left him when he was a child, and we have been
looking after him to try and help him along. We first sent
him to school, but it was not long before he licked the

656 PRESIDENT JOSEPH F. SMITH

schoolmaster, and could not go to school. Then we sent
him on a mission, and he did pretty well at that. I think he
will make good as an apostle."

Some years ago I related this incident to President
Smith, and he told me that the reason he had trouble with
the schoolmaster was that the schoolmaster had a leather
ttrap with which he used to chastise the children. He was
a rather hard-hearted schoolmaster, one of the olden type
that believed in inflicting bodily punishment.

President Smith said: "My little sister was called up
(Aunt Martha, now living in Provo) to be punished. I saw
the schoolmaster bring out the leather strap, and he told
the child to hold out her hand. I could not stand for that.
I just spoke up loudly and said, 'Don't whip her with that/
and at that he came at me and was going to whip me, and
instead of him whipping me, I licked him good and' plenty/'

At the time of this incident, Joseph F. (for by that
name he was affectionately called) was about fifteen years
of age. But he was a strong, powerful youth, and his big
heart could not tolerate such punishment, especially if it
bordered on the cruel, to be inflicted upon a little child.

Another incident which I have heard him relate which
shows his courage and integrity, occurred when he was re-
turning from his mission to the Sandwich Islands, in the fall
of 1857. He came home by way of Los Angeles, by what was
called the Southern Route. In that year Johnston's Army
was on the move for Utah, and naturally enough there was
much excitement and bitterness of feeling concerning the
"Mormons." In southern California, just after the little
train of wagons had traveled only a short distance and made
their camp, several anti-"Mormon" tcughs rode into the
camp on horseback, cursing and swearing and threatening
what they would to the "Mormons." Joseph F. was a
little distance from the camp gathering wood for the fire,
but he saw that the few members of his own party had

REMINISCENCES 657

cautiously gone into the brush clown the creek, out of sight.
When he saw that, he told me, the thought came into his
mind, "Shall I run from these fellows? Why should I
fear them?" With that he marched up with his arm full of
wood to the campfire where one of the ruffians, still with his
pistol in his hand, shouting and cursing about the "Mor-
mons," in a loud voice said to Joseph F.,

"Are you a 'Mormon'?"

And the answer came straight, "Yes, siree ; dyed in the
wool; true blue, through and through."

At that the ruffian grasped him by the hand and said,

"Well, you are the pleasantest man I ever met!

Shake, young fellow, I am glad to see a man that stands
up for his convictions."

These incidents show the inherent bravery, courage,
integrity, of the man, and also tenderness and pity for the
little helpless sister. These are the qualities upon which
great men are builded.

In the spring of 1877, I was called to accompany Presi-
dent Smith on a mission to Europe. I was called by him to
labor in the business affairs of the Liverpool office, and
from that time until the day of his death, I think I have
enjoyed his personal confidence more than any man living.
When I look back on it all now, I can see what a treasure,
a blessing, a favor -from the Almighty it has been to me.

During the last eleven years, especially, I have traveled
with him almost constantly whenever he has gone from
home. I have been with him on three different trips to
Europe, including the first missionary trip above mentioned,
and on four trips to the Sandwich Islands. Everywhere, and
on all occasions, I have found him the same great, brave,
true-hearted, noble and magnificent leader, so simple and
unaffected, so entirely democratic and unassuming.

He was always careful with his expenditures, too.
He abhorred debt, and no man have I ever known who was

43

658 PRESIDENT JOSEPH F. SMITH

so prompt to pay an obligation to the last penny. He could
not rest until the Church was out of debt, and though hun-
dreds of schemes, and many of them extra good schemes,
too, were presented to him, which no doubt would have
meant an increase of wealth for the Church, yet he reso-
lutely set his face against debt; and would not, under any
conditions or circumstances involve the Church in that way.
Neither would he himself become involved in debt in his
own individual affairs, but persistently stuck to the old
motto, "Pay as you go."

Many of the older people now alive can recall that
forty years ago, or even less, he was considered a radical,
and many a one of that time shook his head and said, "What
will become of things if that fiery radical ever becomes
president of the Church. But from the time he was made
president of the Church, and even before that time,
he became one of the most tolerant of men ; tolerant of
others' opinions, and while he would denounce sin with such
righteous wrath as you would seldom see in any man, yet for
the poor sinner he had compassion and pity, and even for-
giveness, if sincere repentance were shown. None more
ready than he to forgive and forget.

One touching little incident I recall which occurred on
our first trip to the Sandwich Islands. As we landed at the
wharf in Honolulu, the native Saints were out in great
numbers with their wreaths of lets, beautiful flowers of
every variety and hue. We were loaded with them, he, of
course,, more than anyone else. The noted Hawaiian band
was there playing welcome as it often does to incoming
steamship companies. But on this occasion the band had
been instructed by the Mayor to go up to the "Mormon"
meetinghouse and there play selections during the festivities
which the natives had arranged for. It was a beautiful sight
to see the deep-seated, love, the even tearful affection that
these people had for him. In the midst of it all I noticed a

REMINISCENCES 659

poor old blind woman, tottering under the weight of about
ninety years, being led in. She had a few choice bananas in
her hand. It was her all — her offering. She was calling,
"Iosepa, Iosepa." Instantly, when he saw her, he ran to her
and clasped her in his arms, hugged her, and kissed her
over and over again, patting her on the head saying, "Mama,
Mama, my dear old Mama."

And with tears streaming down his cheeks he turned
to me and said, "Charlie, she nursed me when I was a boy,
sick and without anyone to care for me. She took me in
and was a mother to me."

Oh, it was touching — it was pathetic. It was beautiful
to see the great, noble soul in loving, tender remembrance of
kindness extended to him, more than fifty years before ; and
the poor old soul who had brought her love offering — a few
bananas — it was all she had — to put into the hand of her
loved Iosepa !

On these ocean trips there was much spare time, and
we often whiled away an hour or two playing checkers. He
could play a good game of checkers, much better than I.
In fact, he could beat me four times out of five, but once in
a while, when I played more cautiously, and no doubt when
he was more careless, I could beat him. If he was beating
me right along and I made an awkward move, and could see
instantly that I had moved the wrong checker, he would
allow me to draw it back if I noticed it immediately; but on
the other hand, if I had beaten him for a game or two and
should put my finger on a checker to draw it back, even
though it were on the instant, he would call out with force
enough, and in that positive way of his, "No you don't, you
leave it right there." It is in these little incidents that we
show the human side of our natures.

He loved sport — manly sport. He was a natural ath-
lete ; and in his youth at foot-racing, jumping, wrestling,
which were among the primitive sports of primitive days, he

660 PRESIDENT JOSEPH F. SMITH

was a match for anyone. In later years I had induced him
to take up with the ancient and royal Scottish game of golf.
He got so that he could play a very good game, excellent
indeed for a man of his years. But on one occasion, down
at Santa Monica, when we were playing, we were up within
about one hundred feet of the flag at the hole we were mak-
ing for. A slight stroke should have driven the ball nearer
the flag, but the inclination to look up as one tries to hit
the ball got the best of him, and the consequence was he
topped the ball and it rolled only a couple of feet or so. He
bent over for the next stroke, and the one thing which all
golfers most fear, and the hardest to overcome, is that
habit of looking up or taking the eye off the ball just as
you go to strike. This he did, the second time, when he
topped it again and it moved but a few feet further. The
third time he went up to it and hit it a whack that sent it
rolling one hundred feet beyond the flag. His son, Wesley,
who was playing with us, called out, "Why, papa, what did
you do that for? You knew it would roll away down there
in the ditch!" The President straightened up and said,
with a smile, "Well, I was mad at it!" I have laughed
hundreds of times at that, "I was mad at it."

Of course, we agreed well together, otherwise we would
not have been companionable during all these years. But
sometimes I could' not fully agree with him on some matters
that we discussed. I recall one night we were on ship-
board returning from Europe, in 1906. It was a bright
moonlight night, and we stood there leaning over the railing
enjoying the smooth sea and balmy summer night air. The
Smoot investigation, which had just occurred a little while
before and which had stirred up so much controversy
throughout the land, was fresh in our minds, and we were
talking of it. I took the position that it would be unwise
for Reed Smoot to be re-elected to the United States Senate.
I was conscientious in my objection, and I had marshaled

REMINISCENCES 661

all the facts, arguments, and logic, that I could; and I was
well informed, I thought, on the subject, and had presented
them to him in as clear and yet in as adroit a manner as I
possibly could. It would take too much space here to go
over the arguments, but it seemed to me that I had the best
of it. I could see he began to listen with some little im-
patience, and yet he let me have my say, but he answered in
tones and in a way that I shall never forget. Bringing his
fist down with some force on the railing between us, he said,
in the most forceful and positive manner:

"If ever the Spirit of the Lord has manifested to me
anything clear and plain and positive, it is this, that Reed
Smoot should remain in the United States Senate. He can
do more good there than he can anywhere else."

Of course, I did not contend further with him, but
accepted from that hour his view of the case and made it
mine, too. Twelve years have passed since that time, and
looking back on it now, I cannot help but think how mar-
velously and splendidly the inspiration of the Almighty has
been vindicated, while my argument, facts and logic have all
fallen to the ground.

During the last six or eight years, hundreds of promi-
nent people, Democrats as well as Republicans, passing
through Salt Lake City, even Secretary McAdoo, himself,
among them, have stated to President Smith that Utah had
a great big man in the United States Senate in the person
of Senator Reed Smoot. President Smith's judgment, or
rather his inspiration in this matter, has been vindicated to
the last degree.

As a preacher of righteousness, who could compare
with him? He was the greatest that I ever heard — strong,
powerful, clear, appealing. It was marvelous how the words
of living light and fire flowed from him. He was a born
preacher, and yet he did not set himself up to be such. He
never thought highly of his own great qualities. Rather, he

662 PRESIDENT JOSEPH F. SMITH

was simple, plain and unaffected to the last degree ; and yet,
there was a dignity with it all which enabled anyone and
everyone to say: "He is a man among men!" As preacher,
leader, teacher, husband, father, citizen and man, I ask, who
among our mighty ones can be likened unto him?

He loved a good story and a good joke. There was a
good laugh in him always. He had no patience with vile
stories, but there was a fine vein of humor in him, and he
could relate incidents of his early life and entertain the
crowd about him as few men ever could.

He was the most methodical in all his work of any per-
son I ever knew. Every letter that he received had to be
indorsed by him with the date and any other information,
and all carefully filed away. He could not stand for dis-
order. Everything in connection with his work was orderly.*
He could pack his suitcase or a trunk and line out and
smooth out every piece of clothing in it so it would hold
more and be better packed than if anybody else had done it.
His clothes, too, were always clean. Most men as they grow
old are likely to have their clothes more or less spotted
through dropping food on their clothing. But not so with
him. To his last day his clothes were as clean and as well
taken care of as if he had been a young man of thirty.

He was a most strenuous worker and never considered
saving himself at all. You could go up to his little office in
the Beehive most any night when he was well, and find him
writing letters or attending to some other work. Perhaps
some dear old soul had written him a personal letter, and
he would" work into the night answering it with his own
hand. Indeed, he over-worked himself and no doubt injured
his strong constitution.

He was careless about eating — careless as to what he
ate and when he ate. His living was exceedingly simple and
plain. He rarely got to bed before midnight, and the con-
sequence was he did not get sufficient sleep and rest.

REMINISCENCES 663

He was very fond of music and loved to sing the songs
of Zion.

His love for little children was unbounded. During
the trip we took last year down through the southern settle-
ments to St. George and return, when the troops of little
children were paraded before him, it was beautiful to see
how he adored these little ones. It was my duty to try and
get the company started, to make time to the next settle-
ment where the crowds would be waiting for us, but it was
a difficult task to pull him away from the little children. He
wanted to shake hands with and talk to every one of them.

Once in a while someone would come up to him and
say, "President Smith, I believe I am a kinsman of yours.''

I knew then that we were good for another ten min-
utes' delay, for that great heart of his, that went out to
every kinsman as well as to the little children, could not be
torn away quickly from anyone claiming kinship with him.

I have visited at his home when one of his little children
was down sick. I have seen him come home from his work
at night tired, as he naturally would be, and yet he would
walk the floor for hours with that little one in his arms,
petting it and loving it, encouraging it in every way with
such tenderness and such a soul of pity and love as not one
mother in a thousand would show.

While he was a hard-headed, successful business man,
yet very few in this dispensation have been more gifted with
spiritual insight than he. As we were returning from an
eastern trip, some years ago, on the train just east of Green
River, I saw him go out to the end of the car on the plat-
form, and immediately return and hesitate a moment, and
then sit down in the seat just ahead of me. He had just
taken his seat when something went wrong with the train.
A broken rail had been the means of ditching the engine
and had thrown most of the cars off the track. In the
sleeper we were shaken up pretty badly, but our car re-
mained on the track.

664 PRESIDENT JOSEPH F. SMITH

The President immediately said to me that he had gone
on the platform when he heard a voice saying, "Go in and
sit down."

He came in, and I noticed him stand a moment, and he
seemed to hesitate, but he sat down.

He said further that as he came in and stood in the
aisle he thought, "Oh, pshaw, perhaps it is only my imagina-
tion;" when .he heard the voice again, "Sit down," and he
immediately took his seat, and the result was as I have
stated.

He, no doubt, would have been very seriously injured
had he remained on the platform of that car, as the cars
were all jammed up together pretty badly. He said, "I have
heard that voice a good many times in my life, and I have
always profited by obeying it."

On another occasion, at a function which was held in
the palatial home of Mr. and Mrs. A. W. McCune, he made
an extended talk to the gathering. He then said that when
a certain brother who had been called to a responsible posi-
tion in the Church was chosen for that position, he himself
had never heard this spiritual voice more plainly and more
clearly telling him what to do, than in this naming of the
individual who was to be called for that certain office.

He lived in close communion with the Spirit of the
Lord, and his life was so exemplary and chaste that the Lord
could easily manifest himself to his servant. Truly he could
say, "Speak, Lord, for thy servant heareth." Not every ser-
vant can hear when He speaks. But the heart of President
Smith was attuned to the Celestial melodies — he could hear,
and did hear.

What shall I say of the grand and glorious work that
he has done in rearing the large and splendid family that
he leaves behind. What a noble work for any man ! Indeed,
no man without great nobility of soul could have accom-
plished it. Is not this bringing up a good family, and a large

REMINISCENCES 665

family of good citizens, good men and women, good for the
Church, for the State, and for the Nation? Is not this, I
say, about the most God-like piece of work that a man can
do in this world? The thinking mind, who goes into this
question deep enough, will see that here is the work, not
only of a man, of a great man, but of a God in embryo. The
whole Church can take pride in the vindication of this great
principle which he has so successfully wrought out. No
ordinary man could accomplish that. Happy the wife who
can call him husband. Happy and blessed indeed the chil-
dren who call him father. Never was man more moral and
chaste and virtuous to the last fiber of his being than he.
Against all forms or thoughts of licentiousness, he was set,
and as immovable as a mountain. "Blessed are the pure in
heart/' and as he was of the very purest — he shall see God.

It is written that a truly great man is known by the
number of beings he loves and blesses, and by the number
of beings who love and bless him. Judged by that stand-
ard alone, where is his equal to be found in all this world !

I can say of Joseph F. Smith as Carlyle said of Luther,
that he was truly a great man, "great in intellect, in courage,
in affection, and in integrity. Great, not as a hewn obelisk,
but as an Alpine mountain." No heart ever beat truer to
every principle of manhood and righteousness and justice
and mercy than his ; that great heart, encased in his mag-
nificent frame, made him the biggest, the bravest, the tender-
est, the purest and best of all men who walked the earth in
his time!

"His life was gentle, and the elements

So mix'd in him, that Nature might stand up

And say to all the world, 'This was a Man T "

— Charles W, Nibley, Presiding Bishop of the Church, Im-
provement Era, Vol. 22, January, 1919, pp. 191-198.

A Biographical Sketch

It was John Locke, the great characteristic English
philosopher, who, at the age of thirty, wrote :

"I no sooner perceived myself in the world, but I found
myself in a storm which has lasted hitherto/'

To Joseph F. Smith, who is among the greatest and
most unique and notable individualities of that peculiar peo-
ple, the Latter-day Saints,, this sentence of Locke's* is
especially applicable. Only his life was enveloped in storm
before he could perceive. He is the son of Hyrum Smith,
the second patriarch of the^ Church, and brother of the
Prophet Joseph. His mother was Mary Fielding, of Eng-
lish origin, a woman of bright and strong mind and of ex-
cellent business administrative qualities.

It was during the Missouri troubles. Governor Boggs
had issued his order to exterminate the "Mormons." On
the first day of November, 1838, through the heartless
treachery of Colonel Hinkle, Joseph and Hyrum and several
other leaders of the people were betrayed into the hands of
an armed mob under General Clark. They were to be taken
prisoners, and confined in jail, and perhaps shot. On the
following day, these betrayed leaders were given a few
moments to bid farewell to their families. Under a strong
guard of militia mobocrats, Hyrum was marched to his
home in Far West, and, at the point of the bayonet, with
oaths and curses, was ordered to take his last farewell of his
wife. For his "doom was sealed," and he was told that he
would never see her again. Imagine such a shock to his
companion ! It would have overpowered and come near
ending the life of an ordinary person. But with the natural
strength of her mind, coupled with the sustaining care of
God, she was upheld in this fiery trial with its added mis-

A BIOGRAPHICAL SKETCH 667

cries to follow. It was on the 13th day of the same month
of November, 1838, in the midst of plundenngs, and scenes
of severest hardships and persecution, that she gave birth to
her first-born who was named Joseph Fielding Smith. In
the cold of the following January, leaving four little ones,
under the care of her sister, Mercy R. — children of her hus-
band by a former wife then dead — she journeyed in a wagon
with her infant to Liberty jail in Clay county, where the
husband and father was confined, without trial or convic-
tion, his sole offense being that he was a "Mormon. " She
was permitted to visit him in jail, but was later compelled
to continue her flight from Missouri with her children to
seek shelter in Illinois.

Such were the stormy environments of birth, and such
was the first pilgrimage of the infant Joseph who has since
compassed the earth and the islands of the sea, promulgat-
ing and defending the principles for which his father endured
imprisonment and later martyrdom, and for which his moth-
er suffered untold persecution and distress.

Joseph's early years were spent amidst the agitations
which culminated in the martyrdom of his uncle and his
father on the memorable 27th day of June, 1844. After the
abandonment of the city by the Twelve, and when the ma-
jority of the Saints had been driven from Nauvoo, in Sep-
tember, 1846, his mother fled from the city and camped on
the west side of the Mississippi River, among the trees on
its banks, without wagon or tent,, during the bombardment
of the city by the mob. Having later succeeded in making
exchanges of property in Illinois for teams and an outfit,
she set out for Winter Quarters, on the Missouri River.
Joseph, a lad of only about eight years, drove a yoke of
oxen and a wagon most of the distance through the state
of Iowa to Winter Quarters, and his other occupation, after
leaving Nauvoo, was principally that of herd boy.

On these western plains he drank in the freedom of

668 PRESIDENT JOSEPH F. SMITH

the spirit of the West, and developed that physical strength
which, notwithstanding his later sedentary occupation, is
still observable in his robust, erect and muscular form.

He is a lover of strength and a believer in work.
''Labor is the key to the true happiness of the physical and
spiritual being. If a man possesses millions, his children
should still be taught how to labor with their hands ; boys
and girls should receive a home training which will fit them
to cope with the practical, daily affairs of family life, even
where the conditions are such that they may not have to do
this work themselves; they will then know how to guide
and direct others,'' said he, in a recent conversation with the
writer.

The great and overpowering desire of all the Saints
was to obtain means to gather to the Valley. For this pur-
pose various kinds of labor was sought in Iowa and neigh-
boring states, from farming to school teaching. In the fall
of 1847, he drove a team for his mother to St. Joseph for
the purpose of securing provisions to make the coveted jour-
ney to the Salt Lake Valley, in the spring following. The
trip was successfully made.

It was in the fall of that year, while tending his moth-
er's cattle near Winter Quarters, that he experienced one of
the most exciting incidents of his life. The cattle were
their only hope of means for immigration to the Valley. This
fact was deeply impressed upon the boy, so that he came to
view them as a precious, heritage, as well as a priceless
charge given to him as a herd boy. He understood the re-
sponsibility ; and that is much, for neither Joseph, the boy,
nor Joseph, the man, was ever known to shirk a duty or
prove recreant to a responsibility.

One morning, in company with Alden and Thomas
Burdick, he set out upon the usual duties of the day. The
cattle were feeding in the valley some distance from the
settlement, which valley was reached in two ways, one

A BIOGRAPHICAL SKETCH 669

over a "bench" or plateau, the other through a ravine or
small canyon. The boys had each a horse. Joseph's was a
bay mare, swifter than the others. Alden suggested that
Thomas and Joseph go the short route to the left, over the
''bench," and he would go up the canyon to the right, so
that they would meet in the valley from the two directions.
The suggestion was gladly adopted, and the two set out
with youthful frolic, and soon arrived at the upper end of
the valley, where the cattle could be seen feeding by a
stream which divided it in the center and wound down the
canyon from the direction of the settlement. Having the
day before them, they amused themselves with "running"
their horses, and, later, in "jumping" them over a little
gully in the upper part of the valley. As they were engaged
in this amusement, suddenly a band of twenty or thirty
Indians came into view, around a point in the lower end of
the valley, some distance below the cattle. Thomas first saw
them, and frantically yelled, "Indians," at the same time
turning his horse for the "bench" to ride for home. Joseph
started to follow, but the thought came to his mind, "My
cattle, I must save my cattle!" From that moment, only
this thought filled his mind; everything else was 'blank and
dark. He headed his horse for the Indians, to get around
the herd before the reds should reach it. One Indian, naked
like the others, having only a cloth around the loins, passed
him, flying to catch Thomas. Joseph reached the head of
the herd, and succeeded in turning the cattle up the ravine
just as the Indians approached. His efforts, coupled with
the rush and yells of the Indians, stampeded the herd,
followed by Joseph who, by keeping his horse on
the "dead" run, succeeded for some time in keeping between
the herd and the Indians. Here was a picture ! the boy, the
cattle, the Indians, headed on the run for the settlement!
Finally the reds cut him away from the herd, whereupon he
turned, going down stream a distance, then circling around

670 PRESIDENT JOSEPH F. SMITH

the ravine to the right, to reach the cattle from the other
side. He had not gone far in that direction when other
Indians were seen. They started for him, overtaking him
as he emerged from the valley. He still spurred his horse,
going at full speed, and while thus riding, two of the naked
reds closed up beside him in the wild race, and took him,
while the horses were going at full speed, one by the left
arm and th£ other by the right leg, and lifted him from the
saddle, for a moment holding him in the air, then suddenly
dropping him to the ground.

Undoubtedly he would have been scalped but for the
timely appearance of a company of men going to the hay
fields, on the opposite side of the ravine, which scared the
thieving Indians away, they having obtained both the boys'
horses for their pains. In the meantime Thomas had given
the alarm. Two relief companies were formed in the settle-
ment, one a posse of horsemen under Hosea Stout, who
went up the canyon and found the cattle with Alden Bur-
dick (the pursuing Indians having abandoned the chase from
fright), while the other took the "bench" route, and dis-
covered Joseph, who with them spent the day in a fruitless
search for the Indians and the cattle supposed to have been
stolen. "I remember, on my way home," says Joseph, "how
I sat down and wept for my cattle, and how the thought of
meeting mother, who could not now go to the Valley, wrung
my soul with anguish." But happily, his bravery and
fidelity to trust, which are indissolubly interwoven with his
character as a man, had saved the herd.

Leaving Winter Quarters in the spring of 1848, they
reached the Salt Lake Valley on September 23, Joseph driv-
ing two yoke of oxen with a heavily loaded wagon the
whole distance. He performed all the duties of a day-
watchman, herdsman and teamster, with other requirements
imposed upon the men. Arriving in Salt Lake City, he again
had charge of the herds, interchanging .with such labors as

A BIOGRAPHICAL SKETCH 671

plow ing, canyon work, harvesting and fencing. During this
whole time he never lost an animal entrusted to his care;
this notwithstanding the numerous large wolves abounding
in the country.

His education was obtained from his mother who early
taught him, in the tent, in the camp, on the prairie, to read ,
from the Bible. He has had no other, save that sterner edu-
cation gathered from the practical pages of life. But his
opportunities in later years have not gone unused, and
there are few college-bred men who delight more in books
than Joseph. He is, too, a fair judge of the manner and
matter of books. His leisure for reading is limited, owing
to his constant employment in the affairs of the Church:
but he loves to read books of history, philosophy, science ;
and has specially delighted in such authors as Seiss and
Samuel Smiles, who may be said to be his favorites. He is
fond of music, of which, though not a judge, he is a great
lover, especially enjoying the music of the human voice.

In 1852, his mother died, leaving him an orphan at the
age of fourteen. When fifteen years of age, he, with other
young men, was called on his first mission to the Sandwich
Islands. The incidents of the journey to the coast by horses,
his work in the mountains at a shingle mill for means to
proceed, and the embarkment and journey on the Vaqnero
for the islands, are sufficient for a long chapter in them-
selves ; while his labors in the Maui conference, under Presi-
dent F. A. Hammond, his efforts to learn the language in the
district of Kula, his attack of sickness, the most severe of his
life, caused by the Panama fever, and his other labors and
varied, trying experiences while there, would fill a volume.
He says, "Of the many gifts of the Spirit which were mani-
fest through my administration, next to my acquirement of
the language, the most prominent was perhaps the gift of
healing, and by the power of God the casting out of evil
spirits, which frequently occurred."

672 PRESIDENT JOSEPH F. SMITH

One incident shows how the Lord is with his servants :
Joseph was studying the language, being alone with a native
family in Wailuku. One night while he sat by a dismal
light poring over his books in one corner of the room where
dwelt a native and his wife, the woman was suddenly pos-
sessed; she arose and looking toward Joseph made the' most
fearful noises and gestures, accompanied by terrible physi-
cal contortions. Her husband came on his bended knees and
crouched beside him, frightened to trembling. The fear
that our young missionary felt under those circumstances
was something indescribable, but presently it all left him,
and he stood up facing the maniac. woman, exclaiming: "In
the name of the Lord Jesus Christ, I rebuke you." Like a
flash, the woman fell to the floor like one dead. The hus-
band went to ascertain if she were alive, and pronounced
her dead. Then he returned, and set up a perfect howl,
which Joseph likewise rebuked. What should Joseph do?
His first impression was to get away from the horrid sur-
roundings, but upon reflection he decided that such action
would not be wise. His feelings were indescribable, but
having rebuked the evil, it was subdued and peace was
restored, and he proceeded again with his studies. These
are the class of experiences that bring a lone missionary,
young as he was, close to the Lord.

After his release, and while returning from the mission
in Hawaii, this incident occurred: At Honolulu he went on
board the barque Yankee, on October 6, 1857, and with a
company of elders landed in San Francisco, about the end
of the month. With Edward Partridge, he went down the
coast to Santa Cruz county, Cal., and from thence with a
company of Saints, under Captain Charles W. Wandell,
southward to the Mojave river, where he and others left
the company and made a. visit to San Bernardino on their
way to the Salt Lake Valley. It must be said that the feel-
ing against the "Mormons," first, on account of the exag-

A BIOGRAPHICAL SKETCH 673

gerated reports of the Mountain Meadows massacre, and
secondly, because of the coming of Johnston's army to Utah,
was exceedingly bitter on the coast. As an illustration :
while they were in Los Angeles, a man, William .Wall by
name, came near being hung because he had confessed he
was a "Mormon." A mob of men had passed sentence on
him, and had prepared every detail to hang him. It was
only through the wise counsel of a man among them, whose
better judgment prevailed, that he was not hung. This
man pointed out to the mob that here was a man who had
not been near Utah when the massacre took place, a man who
had no sympathy with it, who could in no vvay be counted
as a criminal. Why should he suffer? And so Wall was
finally discharged and given time to get out of the country.
It was under such conditions, and such prevailing sentiment,
that President Smith, then a lad of nineteen, found him-
self on his journey home, and on his trip to San Bernardino.
With another man, and a mail carrier, he took pas-
sage in a mail wagon. They traveled all night, and at day-
light stopped near a ranch for breakfast. The passenger and
the mail carrier began to prepare breakfast, while Joseph
went a short distance from camp to look after the horses.
Just while the carrier was frying eggs, a wagon load of
drunken men from Monte came in view, on their road to
San Bernardino to kill the "Mormons," as they boasted.

The oaths and foul language which they uttered, be-
tween their shooting, and the swinging of their pistols, were
almost indescribable and unendurable. Only the West
in its palmiest frontier days could produce anything like its
equal. They were all cursing the "Mormons," and utter-
ng boasts of what they would do when they met them. They
got out at the ranch, and one of them, tumbling around,
caught sight of the mail wagon, and made his way towards
it. The passenger and the mail carrier, fearing for their
safety, had retired behind the chaparral, leaving all the

44

674 PRESIDENT JOSEPH F. SMITH

baggage and supplies, including the frying eggs, exposed
and unprotected.

Just as the drunken man approached, President Smith
came in view on his way to the camp, too late to hide, for he
had been seen. The ruffian was swinging his weapon,
and uttering the most blood-curdling oaths and threats ever
heard against the "Mormons. " "I dared not run," says
President Smith, "though I trembled for fear which I
dared not show. I therefore walked right up to the camp
fire, and arrived there just a minute or two before the
drunken desperado, who came directly toward me, and,
swinging his revolver in my face, with an oath cried out:
'Are you a "Mormon ?" ' "

President Smith looked him straight in the eyes, and
answered with emphasis : "Yes, sir'ee ; dyed in the wool ;
true bjue, through and through."

The desperado's arms both dropped by his sides, as if
paralyzed, his pistol in one hand, and he said in a .subdued
and maudlin voice, offering his hand : "Well, you are the

— pleasantest man I ever met ! Shake. I am glad

to see a fellow stand for his convictions." Then he turned
and made his way to the ranch house. Later in the day, on
seeing President Smith, he only pulled his slouch hat
over his eyes, and said not a word.

In 1858, Joseph F. Smith joined the militia which in-
tercepted Johnston's army, serving until the close of hostil-
ities, under Colonel Thomas Callister. He was later chap-
lain of Colonel Heber C. Kimball's regiment, with the rank
of captain. He took part in many Indian expeditions, and
was in every sense a minute man in the Utah militia.

In the spring of 1860, though only about 22 years of
age, he was sent on a mission to Great Britain. As he had no
money, he and his cousin Samuel H. B. Smith, each drove
a four-mule team over the plains to Winter Quarters to pay
their way. Tt happened that the owners of these teams were

A BIOGRAPHICAL SKETCH 675

rank apostates, so that when the young men arrived at their
destination, it was very well known that' they were Latter-
day Saints. They were moneyless, and decided finally to go
to Des Moines where they tried without success to get
something to do. They hunted for work in the harvest
fields, but found no one who wished to employ them. The
feeling was still bitter against the "Mormons" in this re-
gion, for it was only about fourteen years since the rem-
nant of the Saints had been driven from Nauvoo. One
day they met a man who asked them who they were, and
where they were going, and having been told that they
were going to England on a mission, the man stated that
he had a sister in England whom he wished to emigrate,
and asked that they take the money with them for her
emigration. He stated that they might use it as they saw fit :
provided on arrival they would let his sister have the money
to pay her passage to America. They agreed to this, and
immediately went on their way to Burlington where they
took a steamer for Nauvoo; but when they got on board
they learned that the steamer would not land at that place, as
they had been told ; and they also heard the most bitter im-
precations against the Latter-day Saints, uttered in the most
profane and indecent language.

Landing at Montrose, where the boat took on freight,
the feeling was still more bitter. The Saints were cursed, and
boasts were made of what evil would befall any "Mormon"
who would dare to make his appearance. Getting on board
the skiff, next morning, which was to carry them over to
Nauvoo, the young men found that the spirit of the mob was
just as bitter as ever, but it was not known here that they
were "Mormons. " Several men asked them who they were,
and their replies were evasive. Finally, a Catholic priest
came to them and asked where they were from. "O ! from
the West/' was the reply.

"How far west?"

676 PRESIDENT JOSEPH F. SMITH

"From the Rocky Mountains."

But the priest finally pinned them down by asking,
"Are you 'Mormon' elders from Utah?"

President Smith says that under those circumstances,
for a moment, never had temptation to deny the truth come
to him with stronger force, but it was only for a moment.
He answered, "Yes, sir, we are 'Mormon' missionaries on
our way to England."

The reply seemed to satisfy the priest; and, contrary to
expectations, it did not in the least increase the imprecations
of the passengers. When they landed at Nauvoo, they went
directly to the Mansion House, and, strange to say, the
Catholic priest also stayed there. If they had not truthfully
answered the queries on the boat, he would have found them
out here, to their shame.

"I had never felt happier," says President Smith, "than
when I saw the minister there, and knew that we had told
him the truth about our mission."

On this mission he served nearly three years, returning
in the summer of 1863; it was during these years that the
intimacy between President George Q. Cannon, who pre-
sided over the mission, and Joseph F. Smith began ; friend-
ship and love for each other were engendered, which have
since grown stronger through the intimate careers of two
beautiful lives. On his return, President Young proposed
at a Priesthood meeting that Joseph and his cousin, Samuel
each be given a present of $1,000 to begin life with. Presi-
dent Smith realized in the neighborhood of $75. in pro-
visions and merchandise, but mostly a legacy of much an-
noyance from certain people who entertained the current
thought that he had thus obtained a small fortune. With
the exception of the cost of his passage and stage fare home,
which was sent him by his aunt, Mercy R. Thompson,
amounting to about $100, he paid his own expenses through-
out, as he had done on previous missions.

A BIOGRAPHICAL SKETCH 677

President. Smith has been too busy with his work to
make money, and his temporal affairs are a strong testi-
mony to his exclusive devotion to the public good.

He had only been at home a short time, when, in the
early spring of 1864, he was called to accompany Ezra T.
lienson and Lorenzo Snow on a second mission to the
Sandwich Islands to regulate the affairs of that mission,
which had been greatly disarranged by the well-known,
shrewd and covetous actions of Walter M. Gibson. In this
mission he acted as principal interpreter for the apostles.
After Gibson was excommunicated from the Church, Joseph
was left in charge of the mission, with W. W. Cluff and
Alma L. Smith as his fellow-laborers. It was many months
after Gibson had been cut off before his people left his
jurisdiction and returned to the standard of the Church.
Among the works accomplished by Joseph and his asso-
ciates on this mission was the selection of the Laie planta-
tion as a gathering place for the Saints, which was after-
wards, on their recommendation, purchased by a committee
sent for that purpose by President Young, and which has
proven a valuable possession for the mission, and for the
Church in a general way. Joseph and his aids returned in
the winter of 1864-5.

It was while on this mission that the drowning incident
occurred, mentioned in Whitney's sketch of President
Lorenzo Snow. President Smith's part in the affair has
never been fully told. The ship upon which they arrived lay
anchored in the channel in which the sea was nearly always
rough. A breakwater had been built, under shelter of which
the natives skilfully steered their boats ashore. There was
much danger, however, in approaching it. When it was
proposed that the party should land in the ship's unwieldy
freight-boat, President Smith strongly opposed the propo-
sition, telling the brethren that at the breakwater there was
great danger of capsizing, the boat being a clumsv old tu\

678 x PRESIDENT JOSEPH F. SMITH

unfit for such a load. He refused to go ashore, and tried to
prevail upon the others to abandon the attempt until a better
boat could be obtained. He offered to go ashore alone, and
to return with a safer boat to land the party. So persistent,
however, were some of the brethren, that he was chided
for his waywardness, and one of the apostles even^told him :
"Young man, you would better obey counsel." But he re-
iterated his impression of danger, refusing positively to land
in that boat, and again offering to go alone for a better boat.
But the brethren persisted, whereupon he asked that they
leave their satchels with their clothes and valuables on the
anchored ship with him, and that he be permitted to stay.
This they reluctantly consented to do, and set out for land.

Joseph stood, upon the ship and saw them depart, filled
with the greatest apprehension for their safety." When the
party reached the breakwater, he saw one of the great waves
suddenly overturn the boat, dropping the company into
twenty or thirty feet of water. A boat came out from shore,
manned with natives, who set to work to gather them up,
and obtained all but President Snow, when the boat which
picked them up started for land. It was then that Elder
W. W. ClufT demanded that they return for Brother Snow, A
who would otherwise have been abandoned and left for
drowned. He was found and dragged into the boat for "
dead, his life being thus saved by Brother Guff. All this
time, Joseph stood in the greatest agony as a witness, help-
less, on the deck of the ship. His first information of his
companions' fate came from some passing natives who re-
plied to his inquiry that one of the men (Brother Snow)
was dead. But through the blessings of God and self-
effort it was, fortunately, not quite so serious, his life having
been restored.

Joseph had saved himself and the satchels, and he has
always considered that while the brethren fatefully said of
the incident: "It was to be," that a prevention in this case

A BIOGRAPHICAL SKETCH 679

would have been much better than a cure. The incident ,
illustrates two predominating traits in his character: When
he is convinced of the truth, he is not afraid to express him-
self in its favor to any man on earth. When he does ex-
press himself, it is often with such earnestness and vigor
that there is danger of his giving offense.

On his return home, he labored in the Church his-
torian's office for a number of years; also as clerk in the
endowment house, succeeding Elder John V. Long in that
capacity; being in charge, after the death of President
Young, until it was closed. He had been ordained an
apostle under the hands of President Young, on July 1,
1866, and on the 8th of October, 1867, he was appointed to
fill a vacancy in the quorum of the Twelve Apostles. In the
year following, he was sent with Elder Wilford Woodruff
of the Council of the Twelve and Elder A. O. Smoot to
Utah county. Here he served one term in the Provo city
council.

On February 28, 1874, he went on his second mission
to England, where he presided over the European mission,
returning in 1875, after the death of President George A.
Smith. On his return he was appointed to preside over the
Davis .stake, until the spring of 1877, when he left on his
third British mission, having first witnessed the dedication
of the first temple in the Rocky Mountains, at St. George,
April, 1877. He arrived in Liverpool, May 27, and was
joined a short time afterwards by Elder Orson Pratt, who
had been sent to publish new editions of the Book of Mor-
mon and the Doctrine and Covenants. When news arrived
of the death of President Young, they were released, and
returned home, arriving in Salt Lake City, September 27.

In August of the following year, he was sent with Elder
Orson Pratt on a short eastern mission, visiting noted
places in the history of the Church in Missouri, Ohio, New
York and Illinois. It was on this trip that they had their

680 PRESIDENT JOSEPH F. SMITH

famous interview with David Whilmer. When the First
Presidency was organized, in October, 1880, he was chosen
second counselor to President John Taylor, who died July
25, 1887. He was chosen to the same position in the Presi-
dency under President Woodruff; and holds it at present
under President Snow.

It would require too much space to name his various
civil positions held in Salt Lake City, and in the legislature
of the territory, where he served the people long and faith-
fully. All my readers are familiar with the work of his
recent years ; it is like an open book to the whole people.

So he has been constantly in the service of the public,
and by his straightforward course has won the love; con-
fidence and esteem of the whole community. He is a friend
of the people, is easily approached, a wise counselor, a man
of broad views, and, contrary to first impressions, is„a man
whose sympathies are easily aroused. He is a reflex of the
best character of the "Mormon" people — inured to hard-
ships, patient in trial, God-fearing, self-sacrificing, full of
love for the human race, powerful in moral, mental and
physical strength.

President Joseph F. Smith has an imposing physical
appearance. Now completing his 62nd year, he is tall,
erect, well-knit and symmetrical in build. He has a promi-
nent nose and features. When speaking, he throws his full,
clear, brown eyes wide open on the listener who may readily
perceive from their penetrating glimpse the wonderful
mental power of the tall forehead above. His large head is
crowned with an abundant growth of hair, in his early years
dark, but now, like his full beard, tinged with a liberal
sprinkling of gray. In conversation, one is forcibly im-
pressed with the sudden changes in appearance of his
countenance, under the different influences of his mind : now
intensely present, with an enthusiastic and childlike interest
in immediate subjects and surroundings; now absent, the

A BIOGRAPHICAL SKETCH 681

mobility of his features, set in that earnest, almost stern, ma-
jesty of expression so characteristic of his portraits — so in-
dicative of the severity of the conditions and environments
of his early life.

As a public speaker, his leading trait is an intense
earnestness. He impresses the hearer with his message
more from the sincerity and simplicity of its delivery, and
the honest earnestness of his manner, than from any learned
exhibition of oratory or studied display of logic. He
touches the hearts of the people with the simple eloquence
of one who is himself convinced of the truth presented. He
is a pillar of strength in the Church, thoroughly imbued
with the truths of the gospel, and the divine origin of God's
great latter-day work. His whole life and testimony are an
inspiration to the young.

I said to him : "You knew Joseph, the prophet ; you are
old in the work of the Church: what is your testimony to
the youth of Zion concerning these things ?" And he replied
slowly and deliberately:

"I was acquainted with the Prophet Joseph in my
youth. I was familiar in his home, with his boys and with
his family. I have sat on his knee, I have heard him preach,
distinctly remember being present in the council with my
father and the Prophet Joseph Smith and others. From my
childhood to youth I believed him to be a Prophet of God.
From my youth until the present I have not believed that he
was a Prophet, for I have known that he was. In other
words, my knowledge has superseded my belief. I remem-
ber seeing him dressed in military uniform at the head of
the Nauvoo Legion. I saw him when he crossed the river,
returning from his intended western trip into the Rocky
Mountains to go to his martyrdom, and I- saw his lifeless
body together with that of my father after they were mur-
dered in Carthage jail; and still have the most palpable
remembrance of the gloom and sorrow of those dreadful

682 PRESIDENT JOSEPH F. SMITH

days. I believe in the divine mission of the prophets of the
nineteenth century with all my heart, and in the authenticity
of the Book of Mormon and the inspiration of the book of
Doctrine and Covenants, and hope to be faithful to God and
man and not false to myself, to the end of my days." —
Edward H. Anderson, in Lives of Our Leaders, and Ju-
venile Instructor, 1901.

Last of the Old School of Veteran Leaders

Surrounded by members of his family, President Joseph
F. .Smith peacefully closed his active life upon earth, on
Tuesday morning, at 4:50 o'clock, November 19, 1918, at
his home, the Beehive House, Salt Lake City, Utah. His
noble work on earth is ended. He served the people of the
Church in almost every useful private and public capacity
all his life. He mounted, round \>y round, on the ladder of
'experience, as herd boy, pioneer, teacher, missionary, legisla-
tor, counselor ; and for the past seventeen wonderful years,
was leader and mouthpiece of the Church of Jesus Christ of
Latter-day Saints.

President Smith's administration began October 17,
1901, when he was chosen by the Twelve and set apart as
President of the Church of Jesus Christ of Latter-day
Saints, the choice being ratified by a special conference and
solemn assembly of the Priesthood, on Sunday, November'
10, 1901. Hence, for a few days more than seventeen years,
he stood at the head of God's "marvelous work and a won-
der," upon the earth. His leadership was characterized by
a steady growth of the people in both spiritual and temporal
affairs. Much of their progress was stimulated by his fore-
thought and consideration, by his inspiration from the Lord
freely granted to the people, and by his ability to gather men
about him who willingly co-operated with him for the ad-
vancement and progress of the Church, the State and the
community. In both religion and business, he was- conserva-
tive, staunch, firm, and yet progressive — a leader beloved
and respected by all. Every Church- worker among his
nearest associates, as well as in the stakes of Zion, and in the

684 PRESIDENT JOSEPH F. SMITH

far flung missions of the world, fairly loved and admired
him, and so did the members of the Church.

As editor of the Improvement Era and the Juvenile In-
structor, and general superintendent of the Sunday Schools
and Young Men's Mutual Improvement Associations, he was
a stimulating power, a fountain of wisdom to his associates.
Had he devoted himself to literary work, his success in that
line would have been quite-as marked as in public discourse
and leadership.

He showed great tenderness and love for his large and
honorable family. In his last address to his children,
November 10, 1918, his heart's dearest sentiments were ex-
pressed to them in these words : "When I look around me, %
and see my boys and my girls whom the Lord has given to
me, — and I have succeeded, with His help, to make them
tolerably comfortable, and at least respectable in the world —
I have reached the treasure of my life, the whole substance
that makes life worth living."

He was ever anxious for the welfare of the young peo-
ple, as well as the old, and every good effort for their ad-
vancement was sanctioned and supported by him. Even in
the midst of the cares, burdens and anxieties of his active
life weighing heavily upon him, he was never known to be
too busy to give counsel, experience, testimony, helpful ideas,
sympathetic consideration to workers or members of the
Church who called upon him. His courtesy to all was pro-
verbial.

The passing of President Joseph F. Smith marks an
epoch in the history of the Church. He was the last of the
old school of veteran leaders who .pioneered and founded
our commonwealth. The patience with which he bore the
arduous labors of his life, fully, bravely, and cheerfully, will
be a lasting inspiration to all who knew him. The story of
his achievements for the Church, in spiritual and temporal

LAST OF OLD SCHOOL OF LEADERS 685

affairs, during his long administration, would make a volume
of thrilling interest. His mortal lips are sealed in death, but
his spirit lives forever. Beloved by all, the noble workman
has gone to his rest, having done his full duty for the
advancement of the "marvelous work and a wonder" estab-
lished of the Lord, which must ever continue upon its tri-
umphant march. — Edward H. Anderson, May, 1919.

INDEX.

Abraham, 39.

Adam, 39.

Administration, to sick, 256,

Advancement, personal, helps

Church, 131.
Agriculture, 434.
AJmighty, see God.
Amusements, 400, 401.
Angel, 548/
Anger, 268.
Animal, 333.
Apostle, 221, 222.

labors in spirit world, 581.
Apostleship, proselyting office,

217.
Appetite, 300.
Army, conduct of boys in, 531.

message to boys in, 535.
Atonement, 120.
Authority, 125, 170.

all should exercise, 208.

gives power, 186.

how administered, 186.

know duties of, 187.

man's relation to, 56.
Authorities, pray for, 279.
Auxiliary organizations, 179.

place in Church, 479.

relation to ward, 480.

Backbiting, 330.
Baptism, see Ordinances.
Baptism, 111, 117, 118, 121.
when to b. children, 120.
Bible, 57.

Birth control, see Children.
Birth control, 349, 362.
Bishop, 225, 230, 233, '234.
Blessing, how obtained, 60, 84,

296.
for truth, 12.
personal, 181, 635, 641.
Books, 295, 405.
Book of Mormon, witnesses to

590.
Boys, how achieve greatness,

419.

Boys, lesson for, 418.
taught industry, 432.

Calamity, Lesson in, 67.

Calvin, 39, 500.

Card playing, 410, 411, 412, 413,

415, 416.
Chance, 408.

Charity, see Poor, see also Tith-
ing.
Charity, 294.
Child, see Birth control.
Children, be true to, 353, 398.

condition of in heaven, 569.

consult parents, 201.

do not pledge, 373.

duties to teach, 365.

filial affection, 393.

how to give to, 371.

in the resurrection, 574.

relation to parents, 342.

responsible for, 359.

teach gospel, 369.

teach Jesus' death, 370.

training at home, 367.

treatment of family members,
355.

watch your, 365.

what to teach, 365.

when to baptize,. 120.
Church, see Officers.
Church, see Priesthood, also

Kingdom of God.
Church ample for all organiza-
tions, 442.

contempt is heritage, 425.

democratic institution, 84.

desires to be known, 139.

destiny of, 91.

devil against it, 464.

duties paramount, 323.

government, 178.

house in order, 477.

how officers chosen, 188.

how vote in, 196.

identity unchanged, 140.

in advance of members, 131.

688

INDEX

Church, is kingdom of God, 87.

loyal, 518.

man and, 131.

message of, 89.

mission to save, 88.

no nationalities in, 141, 511.

no neutrals in, 142.

no classes in, 141.

not in politics, 519.

not man-made, 171.

not partisan, 170, ,517.

offers peace, 89.

personal advancement helps,
131.

political parties and, 519.

privilege to be associated
with, 133.

purpose and duty of, 87, 191.

what it stands for, 192.

worth of standing in, 133.
Church Leaders, see Church

Officers.
Church Leaders, help them, 223.

be courageous, 193.

goodness of, 210.

not self called, 209.

purpose of visits, 250.

what advocate, 114.
Church Records, names to be

in, 134.
Church Schools, agriculture in,
435.

object of, 441, 485.

value of, 441.
Christ, see also Jesus.
Christ the great example, 22.

his rest, 155.

taught gospel to Adam, 39.
Citizen, Saint good, 518.
Classes, no classes in Church,

141.
Clubs, no exclusive in Church,

418.
College, see School, see Uni-
versity.
Columbus, 39.
Comforter, see Holy Ghost and

Holy Spirit.
Comforter, Holy Ghost, Holy

Spirit, 73.
Commandments, two great, 339.
Commencement address, 334.

Consecration, 299.
Constitution, loyalty to, 512.
Contention, 465.
Cooperation, 443.
Counsel, 200.

Courage, leaders must have,
193.
be not discouraged, 147.
Courts, avoid, 322.
Covenants, of Latter-day Saints

132.
Criminals, 469.

Daughter, education of, 429.
Dead, vision of redemption of,
596.

work for, 593.
Death and eternal progress, 371.

nature of, 553.

spiritual, 544.
Debt, 325.

Devil, arrayed against truth,
464.

his knowledge, 464.
Difficulty, settlement of, 53.
Discouragement, 147, 421.
Disobedience, treatment of, 139.
Disturbance, Gospel causes, 146.
Doctrine and Covenants, 56.
Doctrine, where to expect

false, 466.
Duty, first to household, 386.

Earth, typical of heaven, 26.
Edison, 39.

Education, see School.
Education, danger of false, 392.

defined, 337.

for eternity, 338.

for women, 439.

industrial pursuits, 427.

practical, 430.

value of practical, 428.
Elders, 230.

to proclaim gospel, 230.
Elohim, 85.

Enemy, in God's hands, 422,
423.

love your, 421.

our debt to, 423.

prayer for, 424.

those to fear, 426.

INDEX

589

Instates of, exaltation, 85.
Eternal, life, 538.

nature of salvation, 13.

progress and death, 371.

relations of family, 342.
Eternity, educate for, 338.

we live for, 348.
Evidence, revelation and legal,

49.
Evil, not caused by God, 69.

fashions, 416.

retreat from, 468.

unchastity dominant, 386.
Exaltation, estates of, 85.
Excess, see Temperance, Mod-
eration.
Experiments, to be avoided, 337.

Faith, see Testimony.
Faith. 122.

be true to, 322.

reality of, 6.
False teachings, 464.
Family, 341.

basis of government, 203.

eternity of, 348.
- father presiding authority, 359.

governed by love, 393.

importance of filial affection,
393.

large f. desirable, 352.

mutual treatment, 355.

should be example to, 357.
Fashions, 349, 400, 416,- 417.
Fast day. 298, 306.
Fasting, 299, 305.
Father, duties of, 361.
Father presiding authority of

family, 359.
Female, and male in heaven,

346.
Final Judgment, and resurrec-
tion, 566. '
Find, search and, 151.
First Presidency, not always
apostles. 216.

relation of members. 219.

when to organize. 214.
First Principles, 116. 121.
Flattery, danger of. 392.
Food, spirit needs, 262.
Forestry, 437.

Forgiveness, 421.
Franklin, 39.
Free agency, 58.
Freedom, use of, 59.
Saints to exercise, 59.
Freeze, Mary A., funeral ser-
vices of, 577.
Future life, see Life Hereafter.
Future life, condition in, ,543.

Gambling, 407, 408. '.

General authorities, see Church

Leaders.
General authorities, questions
to, 223.

temporal support of, 224.
Gift of Holy Ghost, 124.
Gift of tongues, 251.
Gifts of Spirit, 471.
Giving, to children, 371.
God, directs work, 64.

an eternal being, 78.

attain blessings of, 60.

at the helm, 168.

do not limit, 69.

extent of power, 69.

fatherhood of, 37.

fatherly love, 498.

Father and Son distinct, 83. .

his rest, 71.

his warfare, 71.

how to secure blessings of,
84.

inspires man, 75.

man, and, 64.

man in image of, 71.

need of trust in, 79.

not author of evil, 69.

nothing temporal with, 85.

purposes unchangeable, 41.

personal knowledge of, 64.

right to rule, 66.

Saints to serve, 515.

speaks to honest, 65.

Spirit of, 73.

strives with warring nations,
530.

this God's work, 636.

will to exalt men, 66.

warfare, 71.

work cannot be stopped, 94.
Golden Rule, 424.

690

INDEX

Good, foundation in home, 380.
Good Will, Church stands for,

192.
Government, family at basis of,

203.
Gospel, see Gospel principles.
Principles of Gospel, 36.
Gospel, all comprehensive, 104

be as broad as, 150.

causes disturbance, 146.

designed for temporal, 261.

divinity of, 95.

first principles of, 116, 121.

greatest thing, 392.

is simple, 11.

men not ready for, 450.

message, 89.

message of love, 114.

most important, 131.

principles eternal, 14.

preached in spirit world, 595.

shield from terror, 109.

should study, 323.

taught to Adam, 39.

teach to children, 369.

trumpet, 110.

where leads, 90.
Gossip, 136.
Grant, Heber J., 36.
Grant, Rachel, 29.
Gratitude, 328.

Grave, redemption beyond, 550.
Greatness, truest, 358.

Harmony, 159.
Hate, of truth, 464.

why Church is hated, 425.
Heaven, condition of children
in, 569.

mate and female in, 346.

no marriage in, 350.

typical of earth, 26.
Heal, wounds, 331.
High Council, duty of, 226.
High priests, duties of, 225, 227.

duties of quorums, 227.
History, 295.
Hobbies, 143.

Holy Ghost, blasphemy against,
18.

Holy Spirit, Comforter, 73.

personage of spirit, 74.

Holy Ghost, religion fruit of,
112.

Spirit of Lord, 82.
Holy Spirit, see Comforter, Holy
Ghost.

nature of influence, 72.
Holy, venerate h. things, 355.
Home, see Household.
I lome, 341.

basis of, 378.

child, and, 398.

first duty to, 386.

foundation of good in, 380.

ideal, 378.

motherhood, foundation of,
361.

no substitute for, 375.

not mortgage, 374, 382.

secure, 380.

training of children, 367.

worship in, 377.
Honest, God speaks to, 65.
Honor, Church stands for, 192.

reward of all, 10.
Hopelessness, 146.
Household, see Home.
House of the Lord, see Temple.
House of the Lord, children

have rights in, 374.
Husband, depends on wife, 363.

duty to wife, 392.

treatment of family, 355.

wife in eternity, 392.

Identity, immortal, 28.
Idler, 295.

no place, 296.
Ignorance, address on, 427.
Image, man in God's, 71.
Industry, 282.

learn arts of, 432.
Ingratitude, sin of, 339.
Immortality, see Eternal.
Immortality, indistructible iden-
tity, 28.
Immortality of man, 16, 27.
Injustice, how avoid, 268.
Inspires, God i. man, 75.
Inspiration, spirit of, 42.
Intelligence, eternal, 32.
Israel, to flourish, 91.

Jehovah, see Jesus.

INDEX

691

Jesus, see also Christ.
Jesus, eternal, 39.

first born, 85.

is the Son, 85".

teachers must believe in, 502.

teach story of to children, 370.
Judgment, use of judgment, 59.

Keys of Priesthood, distinction

between and priesthood, 168.
Kill, only for need, 334.
Kimball, Lleber C, 212.

tribute to, 246.
Kindliness, 332.
Kingdom of God, see Church.
Kingdom of God, is Church, 87.

to continue, 92.
Knowledge, is limited, 11.

of devil, 464.

of sin unnecessary, 467.

Labor, blessings obtained by,
296.

morals and, 430.

unions, 521, 522.
Language, use good, 333.
Latter-day Saints, see Saints.
Latter-day Saints, character of,
163.

are as leaven, 90.

Church in advance of, 131.

conduct of boys in army, 531.

covenants of, 132.

free people, 58.

good citizens, 518.

law-abiding, 114.

loyal to U. S., 512.

must be workers and thinkers,
140.

may know truth, 8.

message to boys in arn^y,
535.

no cause for worry, 107.

possess spirit of salvation, 91.

requirements of, 326.

to serve God, 515. .
Latter-day work, God directs,

64.
Leaders, see Officers, Church.
Learning, ever learning, 427.
Lesser Priesthood, see Priest-
hood.

Lesser Priesthood, 234.

be active, 233.
Life, 333.

Life hereafter, see Future Life.
Life hereafter, 540, 542.

our relation to, 540.
Life, main purpose of, 338.

not destroy wantonly, 333.

the test of, 86.
Light, let shine, 106.
Lincoln, 39.
Love, gospel message of, 114.

your enemies, 421.

govern family by, 393.

one another, 4z5.
Loyalty of Church, 518.

United States proud of, 512.
Luther, 39, 500.

Man, broad as Gospel, 150.

cause versus, 90.

destiny of, 77.

dual being, 337.

eternal spirit, 40.

eternally responsible, 27.

experiences like God's, 78.

God and, 64.

God inspires, 75.

God's will to exalt, 66.

greatest achievement, 4.

his three conditions, 20.

honor himself, 321.

an immortal being, 86.

love one another, 425.

master of appetite, 300.

to be master, 311.

origin and destiny, 114.

personal advancement helps
Church, 131.

possibilities, 83.

respect rights, 354.

settlement of difficulties, 53.
Male, and female m heaven, 346.
Manual training, 434.
Marriage, 129, 341.

eternal, 347.

God-ordained, 341.

none in heaven, 350.

necessity of, 341.

plural forbidden, 351.

purpose of, 347.

righteousness and, 343.

692

INDEX

Marriage, within Church, 350.

Master, man to be, 311
Mechanic arts, 435. ,
Melanchthon, 39, 500.
Melch^izedek Priesthood, res-
toration of, 236.
Members, checks upon, 205.
Messiah craze, 473.
Ministering angels, 548.
Misfortune not caused by God,

69.
Missionaries, advice to, 454.
all men not ready for gospel,

450.
care of returned, 462.
caution to, 460.
duty when called, 463.
elders as, 230.
guard health, 461.
how called, 444.
kind wanted, 445.
people generous to, 453.
qualifications of, 445, 446.
requirements of, 444.
to teach, 447.
what to teach, 447.
Word of Wisdom, 457.
work for returned, 463.
Mob, danger of, 521.
shun SDirit of, b±u.
Morals, and laDor, 430.
"Mormonism," defined, 87.
Mortality, how rise above weak-
ness of, 264.
Moderation, 300, 305.
Mortgage, do not mortgage
home, 374, 382.
evils of, 384.
Mother, her love, 395.
Motherhood, foundation of na-
tion, 361.
Mutual Improvement Associa-
tions, see Young Men's
'Mutual Improvement Associa-
tions, see Young Ladies'
Mutual Improvement Asso-
ciations.
Mutual Improvement Associa-
tions, importance of, 487.
purpose of, 491.

Nationality, none in Church,

141, 511.
Nation, foundation of, 361.

God strives with warring, 530.
Neglects, correct our, 281.
Neighbor, honor your, 321.

how to love, 339.
Nephite apostles, 475.
Neutrals, none in Church, 142.

Obedience, 129, 263.

blessings from, 272.

to ordinances indispensable,
265.

value of, 267.
Occupation, how to prepare
for, 336. I

most desirable, 429.
Officers, Church see Leaders.
Officers, all necessary, 204.

dependent on people, 197.

duties of, 190, 193.

how chosen, 188.

order of vote for, 197.

consult parents about chil-
dren, 201.

qualities of, 191.

to set example, 195.
One Mighty and Strong, 477.
Ordinance, see Baptism, etc.
Ordinance, obedience to indis-
pensable, 265.

sanctity of, 177.
Organization, necessity of, 185.

Parents, in eternity, 79.

consult, 201.

duties of, 364.

relation to children, 342.

responsible for children, 359.

of spirits, 85.
Partisan, Church not, 517.
Patent Medicines, 302.
Patriarch, duties of, 225.
Patriotism, importance of, 517.

true, 516.
Peace, key to, 529.

when to come, 525.
People determine officers, 197.
Perfection, 163.

Persecution, follows revelation,
57.

INDEX

693

Persistence, 165.
Personal blessings, 635.
Personal testimonies, 635.
Philosophers, inspired by God,

39.
Philosophy, 48, 295.
Plan of Life, 88.
Flan of Salvation, eternal na-
ture of, 13.
Pleasure hunting, 404.
Pledge, do not p. chifdren, 373.

of my life, 639.
Plural marriage forbidden, 351.

wives of Joseph Smith, 619.
Political Government, 503.
Politics, and the Church, 519.

Church not in, 519.
Poor, see Charity and Tithing.
Poor, 282.

place in Church, 296.

should be tithe-payers, 289.
Prayer, 269, 273, 274.

blessings follow, 281.

for authorities, 279.

how to pray, 275.

practical, 276.
Preexistence, 14, 114.
Preside, who fit to 206.
President of Church, authority
of, 219.

all under his direction, 217,

divine missions of, zil.

inspired, 213.
Presiding authority, father in

family, 359.
Presiding Bishopric, 222.
Presiding officers, authority of,
230.

composition, 478.
Priesthood, 168.

all officers necessary, 204.

all should exercise authority,
208.

authority of, 218.

blessing upon, 224.

conferring of, 169.

definition and purpose of, 174.

distinction between keys and,
168.

duty of, 196.

explanation of, 181.

Priesthood, greater than its of-
fices, 184.

held alone by Joseph, 55.

how authority administered,
186.

how honor, 207.

its offices, 216.

jurisdiction of quorums, 188.

keys held by Joseph alone,
55.

keys of, 176.

I^esser, 234.

Lesser, be active, 233.

many hold, 198.

membership rolls, 207.

mission of, 174.

mv^t be called; to preside,
217.

nearly all hold, 197.

obligations of, 206.

order of, 215.

order of presidency, 179.

presiding authority, 178.

privileged to bless, 182.
responsibilities of quorums,
199.

serious acceptance of, 185.
sanctity of ordinances, 177.

study Section 107, 205.

truth will unite, 195.

use of titles, 203.

vote in, 196.

what it is, 199, 173.
Frinciples of the Gospel, not

new, 36.
Profanity, 303.
Prohibtion, 302.

Prosperity, foundation of, 443.
Purity, see Unchastity.
Purity, 390.

Church stands for, 192.

Question, when to submit, 223.
Quorum, see Priesthood.
Quorum, responsibility of, 199.

Raffling, 407.

gambling, 410,
Reading, 295, 407.
Recomp :nse, the law of, 468,
Redeemer, see Jesus.
Redeemer, I know he lives, 80,
84, 642.

694

INDEX

Redemption^ beyond Igrave,
550.

vision of dead, 596.
Relief Society, 179.

duties of, 482.

duty and purpose of, 484.

object of, 483.

purpose of, 482.
Religion, be true to, 322.

fruits of true, 90.

spirit of, 152.
Religion Classes, purpose and

duties of, 502.
Religious, not naturally, 148.
Repentance, 123.

change with, 117.

fallacy of death-bed, 116.
Responsibility, man's eternal,
27.

personal, 84.
Rest, for followers of Christ,
155.

God's, 71. *
Resurrected beings parents, 85.
Resurrection, 29, 85, 547, 564,
577, 584.

condition of children, 569.

final judgment, 566.

status of children, 574.
Retreat from evil, 468.
Revelation, 128.

enjoyed by all, 43.

legal evidence and, 49.

modern necessary, 45.

new, 43.

persecution follows, 57. - *

proper channels for, 50.

theory and divine, 47.

value of, 42.

when expect new, 46.
Righteousness and marriage,
343.

will prevail, 5.
Rights, respect others', 354.
Reward, according to works,

155.
Rule, God's right to, 66.

Sabbath, see Sunday.
Sabbath, 300, 303.
don't rob, 310.

Sabbath, keep holy, 307.

meaning of, 304.

purpose of, 304.

what do on, 304.
Sacrament, 252.
Saints, see Latter-day Saints.
Salvation, see Plan of salvation.
Salvation, 538.

spirit of, 91.

spiritual and temporal, 260.
Saloon, 301.
Saturday's work, 303.
Save, mission of Church, 88.
School, address to graduates,
334.

need manual training, 432.
Science, 48.

defined, 6.
Search, 151.
Secret societies, 135.
Secret organizations, 134.
Seventy, duties of, 228, 229.

how to replenish quorums,
229.
Sick, order of administration to,

256.
Singing, 324.
Sin, degrees of sexual, 388.

how cleansed, 116.

knowledge of, unnecessary,
467.

mpardonable, 545.

washed away by atonement,
120.
Smith, Hyrum, meaning of mar-
tyrdom, 620.
Smith, Joseph, 39, 604.

Joseph, the boy, 617.

Joseph, meaning of martyr-
dom, 620.

a resource, 619.

Joseph, name will not perish,
605.

Joseph, plural wives of, 619.

Joseph, prediction fulfilled,
614.

Joseph, reality of first vision
of, 604.
Joseph will reveal himself, 52.
Joseph restorer, 619.

service of, 604.

testimony about, 210.

INDEX

695

Smith, Joseph F., an appre-
ciation, 644.

a biographical sketch, 666.

editorial on his death and life,
683.

reminiscences, 655.
Snow, Erastus, tribute to, 249.
Snow, Lorenzo, 212.
Social duties, 402.
Soul, test of greatness, 332.
Spirit, memories, 1,5.

needs food, 262.

preexistence of, 114.
Spirit of God vs. Holy Ghost,

82.
Spirit world, lauors in, 581.

preaching in, 595.
Spiritual death, 20, 544.
Spiritual gifts, 251.
Spiritual and temporal, 260.
Staines, W. C., 29.
Stake, jurisdiction, 189.
Stake Presidents, Counsel to,
225.

duties of, 225.
Stake Sunday School Board,

487.
Stephenson, 39.
Strong drinks, 301.
Study the gospel, 323.
Success, defined, 152.
Sunday, see Sabbath.
Sunday, need of worship, 305.
Sunday School, how to teach,
368.

object of, 485.

principle of teaching, 485.

qualification of teachers, 485.

Stake Board, 487.

teacher essential, 485.

training of children, 367.
Superstitions, 470, 472.
Sympathize, with' unfortunate,
294.

Tasks, respect daily, 358.

Taylor, John, 212.

Teach, what, 366.

Teacher, dignity of calling, 235.

beware of false, 466.

essential in Sunday School,
485.

Teacher, must believe in Christ,
502.

principle of Sunday School,
485.

qualification for Sunday
School, 485.

value of work, 236.
Temperance, 300, 301, 305.
Temple, care and need of, 594.

ordinances unchanged, 593.
Temporal death, 20.
Temporal, gospel designed for,
261.

and spiritual, 260.

nothing, with God, 85.

spiritual and, 260.
Terror, gospel shield from, 109.
Testimony, see Faith.
Testimony, 158, 636, 638, 641,
643. >

how to acquire, 158.

personal, 635.

purpose of bearing, 258.

use of, 257.
Theory, 47.
Thinkers, Latter-day Saints

must be, 140.
Time, cease to waste, 295.
Tithe-payers, books open to,
293.

a Church help, 289. ■
Tithing, 282.

commercialism and, 291.

how used and accounted -for,
"293.

law of revenue, 283.

test a, 283.

use of, 291.

why instituted, 282.

widow and, 286, 289.
Tobacco, 301.
True to family, 353.
Truth, 1.

blessings for, 12.

Church stands for, 192.

foundation of gospel, 1.

from God, 6.

gospel on foundation of, 112.

how foundation laid, 9.

how may know, 8.

man saved by, 2.

not superseded, 3.

696

INDEX

Truth, the fountain of, 36, 497.

why hated, 464.

will prevail, 5.

will unite, 19,5. '
Twelve anostles, labors in spirit
world, 581.

Unchastity, see Purity.
Unchastity, danger of, 392.

degrees of, 388.

dominant evil, 386.

how avoid, 2^3.
Unfortunate, respect, 355.

should sympathize with, 294.
Unions, see Labor unions.
United States, loyalty to Con-
stitution, 512.

loyalty of Saints, 512.

crigin and destiny, 512.

Saints loyal to, 512.
Unpardonable Sin, 545.
Untruth, where to expect it, 466.
Utah, guided to, 515.

possibilities of, 630.

Venerate, 355.

Violence, shun spirit of, 520.
Virtue, Church stands for, 192.
Vision, redemption of dead,
596. _ m -

V'tality and patent medicines,

302.
Vote, how in Church, 196.

order of, 197. \

Vulgarity, 303.

War, attitude towards, 524.

cause of, 523.

conduct oT boys in, 531.

God strives with nations, 530.

message to boys in, 535.
Ward, relation to auxiliary or-
ganizations, 4S0.

jurisdiction, 189.
Warfare, God's, 71.
Washington, 39, 500.
Waste, 295.
Watts, 39.

Weakness, how rise above, 264.
Y\ ealth, 144.
West, guided to, 515.
Wicked, keep from, 426.
Wife, and husband in eternity,
392."

be true to, 353.

determines husband, 363.

treatment of family members,
355.
Wisdom in everything, 305.
Witchcraft, 470, 472.
Woodruff, Wilford, 212.
Women, practical preparation

of, 439.
Word of Wisdom, 305.

missionaries and, 457.
Work of Lord will grow, 92.
Workers, Latter-day Sain Is

must be, 140.
World, not love Church, 425.
Worry, no cause for, 107.
Wounds, not inflict, 331.

Young, Brigham, 211.

testimony to, 628.
Young Ladies* Mutual Im-
provement Associations,* see
Mutual Improvement As-
sociations see Young Men's
- Mutual Improvement Asso-
ciations.
Young Ladies' Mutual Im-
provement Association, 179.
order of presiding, 180.
Young. Men's Mutual Imorove-
ment Associations, sec
Mutual Improvement As-
sociations see Young Ladies'
Mniual Improvement Asso-
ciations.
Young Men's Mutual Improve-
ment Association, 179.
field of, 488.

order of presiding, 180.
Youth, address to, 334.

look forward, 400.
Zion, no place for idlers, 296.
to remain, 92.

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